English - Module 2

INCREASING ACCESS TO SECONDARY
SCHOOL LEVEL EDUCATION THROUGH THE

PRODUCTION OF QUALITY LEARNING MATERIALS
JUNIOR SECONDARY LEVEL
ENGLISH
Module 2: Reading
Partners:
Ministry of Education and Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning (BOCODOL), Botswana
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Malawi College of Distance Education (MCDE), Malawi
Ministry of Education, Mozambique
Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture, and the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL), Namibia
Ministry of Education and the Emlalatini Development Centre, Swaziland
Ministry of Education and Culture and the Institute of Adult Education, Tanzania
Ministry of Education, Zambia
Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, Zimbabwe
Commonwealth of Learning
Partners:
Commonwealth of Learning
Ministry of Education and Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning
(BOCODOL), Botswana
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Malawi College of
Distance Education (MCDE), Malawi
Ministry of Education, Mozambique
Ministry of Basic Education, Sport & Culture, and the Namibian College of
Open Learning (NAMCOL), Namibia
Ministry of Education and the Emlalatini Development Centre, Swaziland
Ministry of Education and Culture and the Institute of
Adult Education, Tanzania
Ministry of Education, Zambia
Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, Zimbabwe
Suite 600 - 1285 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 3X8 CANADA

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COL is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the

development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies.
© Commonwealth of Learning, January 2004
ISBN 1-895369-89-4
These materials have been published jointly by the Commonwealth of Learning and the partner Ministries and institutions.
All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, revising or otherwise, without the written permission of the Commonwealth of
Learning on behalf of the publishers.
The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reﬂect the opinions or policies of the publishers.
The authors and the Commonwealth of Learning have made all efforts to ensure that clearance has been obtained to include any third-party
copyrighted material. Any omissions should be brought to the attention of the Commonwealth of Learning.
Increasing Access to Secondary School Level Education through the
Production of Quality Learning Materials
English Modules
BACKGROUND
The project, Increasing Access to Secondary School Level Education through the
Production of Quality Learning Materials, was initiated at a meeting which brought
together senior Ministry of Education officials and heads of Distance Education
Institutions from a number of Sub-Saharan countries in the Commonwealth.
Through the project, open and distance learning materials at the junior secondary school
level were produced in the following subject-areas: English, Mathematics and Science.
The four modules comprising the English materials are:
Module 1: Communication Skills

Module 2: Reading
Module 3: Composition
Module 4: Language Structure
THE WRITERS, REVIEWERS AND PILOTING TUTORS:
The materials in the subject-area, English, were written by the following persons:
Angela Martins (Mozambique);

Judith Dludlu (Swaziland);
Wanda Matsebula (Swaziland);
Anson Banda (Zambia);
Lottie Nkunita (Zambia);
George Chonzi (Zimbabwe); and
Patrick Matchakata (Zimbabwe).
Mr Richard Trewby of the University of Namibia was the Distance Education Consultant
employed to provide guidance and advice during the course writers’ workshop.
The course materials were piloted in all eight partner countries and the tutors involved
were:
Victor B. Maika (Botswana);

Baganetsi N. Mmotawa (Botswana);
Obakeng Tamatise (Botswana);
J. E. W. Nkhoma (Malawi);
Angela Martins (Mozambique);
Carla da Silva Sarmento (Mozambique);
Monicah Katutjikrue Kahitu (Namibia);
COL/English i Module 2: Reading

Illuminata J. Masenge (Tanzania);
Consolata Mongella (Tanzania);
Mary Sayayi (Tanzania);
Kalaba B. Sam (Zambia); and
George Chonzi (Zimbabwe);
Following the pilot phase, the materials were reviewed by:
Victor B. Maika (Botswana);

Baganetsi N. Mmolawa (Botswana);
C. K. Khanje (Malawi);
Carla da Silva Sarmento (Mozambique);
Monica K. Kahitu (Namibia);
Illuminata J. Masenge (Tanzania); and
Sam B. Kalaba (Zambia).
MATERIALS
The intended audience for the materials is junior secondary students, including older
youths and adults that are working towards a junior secondary school level qualification.
The materials were written in module format in the anticipation that they can be easily
modified for the individual country partners’ requirements. The materials are available
electronically as Word files in order to facilitate the ease of modification for the local
context.
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THE MATERIALS
The materials have been developed for students studying in an open/distance learning
environment and it is envisaged that they will work on their own through much of the
content. Given that, when setting time to study, students should choose a time of day
when they are:
• as free from disturbances as possible;

• least likely to be tempted to do other things; and
• as alert as possible.
Students should also plan their study time carefully. One of the best ways to do this is to
draw up a regular timetable and to follow it as strictly as possible.
COL/English ii Module 2: Reading

MODULE 2: READING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The module on Reading was written by Judith Ddludlu and Wanda Matsebula from
Swaziland. The project acknowledges, with thanks, the Principal of the Emlalatini
Development Centre, Mr. M.V. Zikalala, for allowing the writers to be on the Writing
Team and to use the Centre’s facilities.
MODULE CONTENT
Module 2 has three units as follows:

Unit 1 – Efficient Reading
Unit 2 – Reference Skills
Unit 3 – Intensive Reading
In each unit there are:
• lessons;
• activities with answers; and
• exercises with answers at the end of the unit.
Each unit includes a wide range of exercises. These are the most important part of the
materials as they will assist the learners to:
• check on what they already know or can already do;

• apply what the learners have learnt to real-life situations; and
• use what the learners already know to reach new conclusions.
RESOURCES REQUIRED
• Dictionary
• Pen and Paper
GOAL FOR THE MODULE
The purpose of this Module is to help the learners develop their reading skills.
MODULE OBJECTIVES
By the end of this Module, the learners should be able to:
• understand the different types of reading which they are likely to meet both inside and
outside school.
• read efficiently at a speed appropriate to the purpose of reading.
• read critically and make discriminating judgments.
COL/English iii Module 2: Reading

HOW TO USE THIS MODULE
As well as information about reading, this Module includes activities and exercises.
These activities and exercises do not play a part in learner assessment but are there to
help check the learning progress.
When working through the materials, the information should be read carefully and then
the questions should be answered or the exercises completed. Examples and answers are
provided throughout the units in order that the learners can check their work as soon as an
activity or exercise is completed.
ASSESSMENT
An assessment task, such as an assignment, on each unit will be given by the tutor to
assess the student’s achievement of the learning objectives.
The tutor responsible will assist the learners to understand the requirements for the
assignments. If the learners do not understand the directions provided, then the tutors
will provide clarification or further information and directions.
DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE MODULE
As learners work through the text, they will notice symbols in the left margin of some
pages. These “icons” guide the learners through the content and are used to note the
following:
CONTENT UNIT CONTENT
ACTIVITIES
EXERCISES
CHECK YOUR ANSWERS
COL/English iv Module 2: Reading

Table of Contents
Unit 1 Efficient Reading 1

Lesson 1 Efficient reading 2
Lesson 2 Skimming 5
Lesson 3 Scanning 9
Summary 13
Answers to Exercises 14
Unit 2 Reference Skills 15

Lesson 1 Alphabetical order 16
Lesson 2 Telephone directory 19
Lesson 3 Using a textbook 29
Lesson 4 Using a dictionary 40
Lesson 5 Using an encyclopaedia 51
Lesson 6 Using a library 62
Summary 68
Unit 3 Intensive reading 75

Lesson 1 Answering factual questions 77
Lesson 2 Fact and opinions 82
Lesson 3 Implied meaning questions 87
Lesson 4 True or false questions 91
Lesson 5 Multiple choice questions 97
Lesson 6 Meaning of words 105
Lesson 7 Identifying points in chronological order 110
Lesson 8 Making notes to summarise 113
Lesson 9 Interpreting information presented in charts 118
Lesson 10 Feelings, qualities, motives and opinions 126
Lesson 11 Understanding the writer’s attitude 133
Lesson 12 Formal and informal language 139
Summary 146
References 153
COL/English v Module 2: Reading

COL/English vi Module 2: Reading
Efficient Reading 1
INTRODUCTION
Reading is a very important skill in everyday life. As a student you read every day. You
should always read in the right way for better understanding. You will be able to do this if
you know why you are reading. This is efficient reading. You may read because you want
to acquire new ideas, for pleasure or to obtain the information you need. As you read you
use different ways depending on what you want to get from whatever you are reading. For
instance, the way you read a novel is different from the way you read a newspaper.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
read efficiently;
skim through a piece of writing in order to obtain a general idea of the

content;
scan a piece of writing in order to find specific information within a

short time.
UNIT CONTENT This unit is divided into three lessons
Lesson 1 Efficient reading
Lesson 2 Skimming
CONTENT
Lesson 3 Scanning
COL/English 1 Module 2: Reading

LESSON
_____________
Efficient reading
When you read you should always remember that different materials are read differently
depending on what the purpose for reading is. Your level of concentration is not the same.
When you read a set of instructions you need to understand everything to be able to get
results. For example when you want to use a public phone you should follow all the
instructions. When you read for pleasure you do not need to understand everything. You
pick out what interests you. To read efficiently you should use the method of reading that
will suit the type of material and the purpose.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:
read efficiently;
give reasons why you read;
give reasons why you read materials in different ways.
ACTIVITY
1. Why do you read?
........................................................................................................................................
You have already seen in the introduction that you can read for the following
reasons:
Pleasure
In order to obtain information
To learn new ideas
2. List the different types of materials that you read.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

We are sure you listed novels, newspapers, magazines, set books, telephone
directories, dictionaries and many others.
These reading materials are not all read in the same way. Before reading any text,
you should ask yourself why you are reading it and what information you want to
obtain. These questions will lead you to decide how you are going to read, using the
right method of reading.
You should not read all the materials at the same speed but use a speed suited for the
purpose of reading. We said you have different reasons for reading. You may read
for pleasure, for close understanding or for obtaining required information.
Let us look at how you can use the different types of reading.
When you read for pleasure you can read quickly and you do not need to concentrate.
When you read for close understanding, first, you should read quickly to get the
general idea. Then you should read fairly slowly, ask yourself some questions to
check your understanding and read important sections again. You will need to get as
much information as possible. You may even make notes.
When you read to find specific information you should use the scanning method.
This means you will read some sections very quickly, slowing down to read the
relevant sections for close understanding.
You should try to look at words as a group. This will help you understand what you
are reading more quickly and easily.
There are things that you should not do when reading. You should not point at each
word because this will cause slow reading. You should not say the words aloud to
yourself because this will lead to a slower reading process. When you read you
should not read each word separately.
As a student it is very important for you to read as much as you possibly can.
Reading is enjoyable. It also helps your general knowledge and your knowledge of
the language. The more you read the easier it will be for you to study.

EXERCISE 1
1. What questions should you ask yourself before reading some materials?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. How do you read for close understanding?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. Which method of reading do you use if you want to locate specific information?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
Check your answers at the end of the unit.
This brings us to the end of the lesson on reading. You have seen that knowing why you
are reading leads you to choose the right method of reading efficiently.

2
LESSON
_____________
Skimming
In Lesson 1 you looked at how to read efficiently for better understanding. In this lesson
you are going to look at skimming. This is a reading skill or method which you will find
necessary and useful as you read different types of written materials such as textbooks,
newspapers, library books and many others.
OBJECTIVE
skim through a piece of writing to get a general idea of what it is about.
WHAT IS SKIMMING?
Skimming means to read something quickly in order to get a rough idea or general
understanding of what it is about. When skimming, you do not read a text thoroughly or
pay attention to every printed word. You read bits of it, leaving out certain sections or pick
out what you think is important in order to understand what it is about. You can skim
through an article in a magazine to find out what it is about by simply running your eyes
quickly down the page. The same applies to any other material you have never read before.
One way of skimming a text is by reading the first and the last sentence of each paragraph.
This will help you understand what the text is about without reading everything in the
paragraphs.
Headings and subheadings also give you an idea of what the text is about. You can also get
the general meaning by looking for keywords. These are important words which are
usually repeated in a text and are easy to notice and remember. In some texts words
written in bold or italics are important and they give an idea of what the text is about.
You must have noticed by now that when skim reading you have to concentrate as you run
your eyes across the pages. This enables you to notice important points quickly and save
you time as you do not read everything word for word. It also helps you to decide whether
you should go on to read the text in detail or not.

ACTIVITY
1. Quickly skim through the following sentence and then say what the main idea is.
Circle the correct answer.
The principal said that he was sorry to announce that the school sports were
cancelled because of heavy rains which had made the playing ground too wet.
(a) He was sorry to make the announcement.
(b) The school sports were cancelled.
(c) There had been a lot of rain.
(d) The playing ground was too wet.
2. Skim through the following paragraphs and in one sentence say what they are about.
(a) Themba was on trial for killing his younger brother. He was very worried as he
waited for the sentence. Then suddenly the judge stood up and put on his
spectacles. Everybody kept quiet. In a loud voice, the judge said that Themba
was not guilty.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
(b) There is a wide variety of wild animals living in the equatorial rainforest. In the
denser part of the forest, monkeys, gorillas and other climbing animals are
found in large numbers. In the more open parts of the forest, elephants, bucks,
antelopes and many types of snakes are found. Crocodiles, hippos and a variety
of fish are found in the rivers of the equatorial rainforests. There is also a
variety of insects in these forests. The most important is the mosquito whose
bite brings malaria to man.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
1. (b)
2. (a) Themba was found not guilty of killing his brother.
(b) The equatorial rainforests have plenty of different wild animals, fish and insects.
Did you find it easy to quickly skim through these sentences and paragraphs and
understand what they were about? We hope you did. To have more practice on skimming
do the following exercise.
EXERCISE 2
Skim through the following passage as quickly as you can and then answer the questions
which follow.
1. Astronomers are certain that the moon cannot support life, as the earth does. In the first
place, the moon is airless. More accurately, it may have a very thin atmosphere –
between 1/10,000 and 1/1,000,000 as dense as that on earth, but this amount would be
better than none at all. It is not enough to breathe or carry sound.
2. Secondly, the moon lacks water. If the moon ever had water, it has long since
disappeared and now there are no lakes, no rivers and no oceans. Without an atmosphere,
water would turn to vapour. The moon’s gravity is much too weak to hold vapour on its
surface; it would float away into space.
3. Thirdly, without air or water, the moon has no weather. Clouds, rain or snow never
appear in the sky or moisten its surface. The moon is a dry, dead, worthless world.
4. Finally, temperatures on the moon are extremes of hot and cold. Days there (on the
moon) are twenty-eight earth-days long; therefore, periods of daylight and darkness last
two weeks each. For fourteen days one side of the moon bakes in the sun while the other
side freezes in darkness.
5. Because the moon is an airless, waterless, weatherless satellite with harsh extremes
of temperatures, no kind of life as we know it could possibly exist there (Wallace
1980).

1. In one sentence, say what the passage is about.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. What are the main ideas in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4? Write a sentence for each of
these.
a. ...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
b. ...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
c. ...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
d. ...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
This brings us to the end of skim reading. It is a very important skill which must be used
whenever you want to have a general idea of a text. Your understanding becomes easier
when you have skimmed through a text before reading it in detail.

3
LESSON
_____________
Scanning
In the last lesson you looked at skimming as one reading skill or method that is useful and
necessary as you read. In this lesson you are going to look at scanning which you will also
find useful as you read different types of texts. Scanning is like skim reading but slightly
different. You will notice this in the lesson.
OBJECTIVE
scan a piece of writing in order to find specific information.
WHAT IS SCANNING?
Scanning is reading in order to find specific information. When scanning you have a
particular goal in mind. You know exactly what you are looking for and you read quickly
through the text to find the information you need. Like skim reading, you do not read every
word. You leave bits out. Scanning differs from skimming because you are more selective
when scanning. You read knowing what you are looking for, instead of reading to find out
what the text is about.
Before you scan, you must have some specific questions in your mind. For example, if you
want to check your favourite football team’s position in the log from a newspaper, you
simply run your eyes down the section until you find it. Having questions before scanning
helps you identify exactly what you are looking for.
ACTIVITY
Think of some examples of what you can scan for specific information and list these
below.
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
These are our examples. You might have different ones

Telephone directory – looking for a particular number
Newspaper – looking for your school’s final examination results
Dictionary – checking how to spell a certain word
A passage to find answers to certain questions
Examination timetable to find out when you will be writing your mathematics paper.
ACTIVITY
Quickly scan for the following people’s numbers from the list given below and underline
the numbers
1. OELOFOSE WAYNE
2. O’CONNOR S.C.
3. OFFICE SYSTEMS
4. ODENDAAL D.U.
5. ODUMBE JACK
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES 84110

O’CONNOR B.C. 0078
O’CONNOR S.C. 0112
O’DRISCOLL E.L. 5682
ODENDAAL D.U. 0112
ODEYEMI Q.A. 4451
ODUMBE JACK 45256
ODURO OFORI 87193
OELOFOSE WAYNE 30213
OFFER B.A. 8922
OFFER P. 30213
OFFICE SYSTEMS 40218

ANSWERS
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES 84110

O’CONNOR B.C. 0078
O’CONNOR S.C. 0112
O’DRISCOLL E.L. 5682
ODENDAAL D.U. 0112
ODEYEMI Q.A. 4451
ODUMBE JACK 45256
ODURO OFORI 87193
OELOFOSE WAYNE 30213
OFFER B.A. 8922
OFFER P. 30213
OFFICE SYSTEMS 40218
Were you able to find and underline these numbers easily? You should have quickly run
your eyes down the list of names and ignored those that you were not looking for. It is
important to pick out only what you are looking for when scanning to save yourself time.
EXERCISE 3
Scan the paragraph below to find answers to these questions
Chinua Achebe (1930)

Questions:
1. How old was he when he began his formal school?
2. Where did he study medicine?
3. When did he receive his Bachelor of Arts degree?

4. Name one of his best-known novels.
One of the best-known writers in Africa today, Achebe was born in the large village
of Ogidi in Eastern Nigeria. At six he began his formal education, later attending a
government secondary school in Umuhia. There he obtained a scholarship to study
medicine at the University College of Ibadan. After a year, however, he switched his
course to literature and received his Bachelor of Arts in 1953. He taught for several
months after graduation and then spent some years in broadcasting. Following this he
did more full-time writing of his own and contributed considerably to the
establishment of African literature. Achebe has made a substantial contribution not
only to African but also to world literature. His four best-known novels are Arrow of
God, Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease, and Man of the People (Motha, Lukhele,
Phiri and Simelane 1996).
EXERCISE 4
You and two friends are preparing for a biology test and you have the following questions
in mind:
1. What are the main groups of food our bodies need and what are some examples of
these?
2. What other two things does the body need?
Scan through the following article to find answers to your questions. Space for answering
has been provided below the article.
DIET AND HEALTH

For our bodies to work properly we must eat the right kinds of food. There are five
main groups of food. These are carbohydrates, fats, protein, minerals and vitamins.
Fats and carbohydrates are the chief energy-giving foods. They include bread, butter,
potatoes and sugar. Proteins are essential for health and growth and are found in
cheese, eggs, fish, milk and meat. Only small quantities of vitamins and minerals are
needed but they are important. Vitamin sources include fresh fruit and vegetables,
meat and milk. Calcium for healthy bones and teeth, and iron are two of the most

important minerals. Calcium is found in cheese, milk and fish, and iron in meats such
as liver and in green leafy vegetables like spinach.
Exercise is necessary to develop the muscles of the body, including the heart.
Sufficient rest is also required (Octopus Children Encyclopaedia).
1. ........................................................................................................................................
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2. ........................................................................................................................................
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This brings us to the end of Unit 1. We hope you will find these reading methods helpful
and enjoyable both as you study and later in life.
SUMMARY
In this unit you looked at:
• how to read efficiently and effectively depending on the purpose
• how to skim through written materials to get an idea of what they are about
• how to scan through written materials to find answers to particular questions

ANSWERS
EXERCISE 1
1. Why you are reading and what information you want to obtain.
2. First you should read quickly to get the general view. Then you should read fairly
slowly, ask yourself some questions to check your understanding and read important
sections again.
3. You should use the scanning method.
EXERCISE 2
1. There is no life on the moon.

2. a. The moon has no air.
b. The moon has no water.
c. The moon has no weather.
d. The moon is sometimes very hot and sometimes very cold.
EXERCISE 3
1. Six years
2. University College of Ibadan
3. 1953
4. Things Fall Apart/No longer at Ease/ Man of the People/ Arrow of God (any of
these)
EXERCISE 4
1. Carbohydrates (bread, potatoes)

Fats (butter, sugar)
Proteins (cheese, eggs, fish)
Minerals (calcium – cheese, milk, iron – liver, spinach)
Vitamins (fresh fruit, vegetables)
2. Exercise and rest

Reference Skills 2
INTRODUCTION
In Unit 1 you looked at how you can improve your understanding of what you read by
reading efficiently and using the skimming and scanning methods of reading. In this unit
you will look at alphabetical order and reference skills. For reference skills you will look at
how to use a library, a dictionary, an encyclopaedia, a telephone directory and textbooks.
OBJECTIVES
arrange letters and words in alphabetical order;
find information quickly from reference books such as dictionaries,

encyclopaedias and telephone directories;
make full use of a library;
find books by using classification numbers.
UNIT CONTENT This unit is divided into six lessons
Lesson 1 Alphabetical order
Lesson 2 Telephone directory
Lesson 3 Using a textbook
CONTENT
Lesson 4 Using a dictionary
Lesson 5 Using an encyclopaedia
Lesson 6 Using a library

LESSON
_____________
Alphabetical order
You started learning the alphabet from Grade 1, so the alphabet is not new to you.
Knowing alphabetical order always saves you time if you have to use dictionaries,
encyclopaedias, periodicals and telephone directories because the information in these is
always arranged alphabetically.
OBJECTIVE
arrange letters and words in alphabetical order.

_________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY
Let us find out what you know about alphabetical order. Using your scanning skill arrange
the following letters alphabetically. Use the space that is provided.
1. u q w e r
........................................................................................................................................
2. v t a d s
........................................................................................................................................
3. m c t i o
........................................................................................................................................
4. f r g t i
........................................................................................................................................
Here are the answers for the activity.

1. e q r u w
2. a d s t v

3. c i m o t
4. f g i r t
Put these words into alphabetical order using the space that has been provided:
jump, ant, end, pig, strip, boat, up, down, man.
.................................................................................................................................................
Answers
ant, boat, down, end, jump,
man, pig, strip, up
Did you put all of them in the correct order?
To put them in the correct order you should have looked at the first letter of each word. For
example; “ant” comes before “jump” because the letter “a” comes before the letter “j.” The
word “down” comes before “man” because the letter “d” comes before the letter “m” in the
alphabet.
Now put these words in alphabetical order:
drink, dance, desk, dish, doom
........................................................................................................................................
Answers
dance, desk, dish, doom, drink
How many did you get right?
When you are given words that all begin with the same letter you put them in order by
looking at the second letter. For example the second letter of drink is “r” and the second
letter of dance is “a.” Alphabetically “a” comes before “r” so “dance” comes before
“drink.”
Now quickly put these words in alphabetical order:
must, march, men, milk
........................................................................................................................................
Answers
march, men, milk, must

How do you arrange words that all begin with the same two letters such as rang, race, rat,
rash? All these words begin with “r” and the second letters are “a.”
You look at the third letter, so the order will be

race, rang, rash, rat.
From this activity you have seen that words are arranged alphabetically according to the
first letter if they begin with different letters. When words begin with the same letter, they
are arranged according to the second letter and so on.
EXERCISE 1
Arrange the following words in alphabetical order:

1. address, night, mountain, disease, wrong
........................................................................................................................................
2. fence, flesh, freeze, future, four
........................................................................................................................................
3. practice, prepare, prize, press, prison.
........................................................................................................................................
You have now looked at how words are arranged alphabetically. Knowing how to arrange
words alphabetically will help you because words in a dictionary and in a telephone
directory are arranged alphabetically.

2
LESSON
_____________
Telephone directory
In the last lesson you looked at how words are arranged alphabetically. In this lesson you
will look at what a telephone directory can be used for and how it is used.
OBJECTIVE
find telephone numbers in a directory by using alphabetical order;
find and use information such as residential and postal addresses, and
trade information.
Have you ever used a telephone directory? .............................................................................

What did you use it for?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
You can use a telephone directory for many purposes.

You can use it when you need to look for the phone number of a friend or relative.
You can also use it when you want to find the postal and residential addresses of some
people or if you need to get an electrician, a plumber or a taxi.
We have looked at what a directory can be used for. Now let us look at how you use a
directory.
In a telephone directory names are arranged alphabetically, starting with the surname
followed by the first name or the initial, the residential address then the number. All this is
done using the alphabetical order method.

ACTIVITY
In what order would these names be written in a telephone directory?
Kirsh N., Adams D. and Tom H.
The correct order would be:
Adams D., Kirsh N. and Tom H.
If the surnames all begin with the same letter, look at the second letter, for example:
Gruass J.A., Groaning Ivan, Gwambe Carlitos.
The order here would be:
Groaning Ivan, Gruass, J.A. and Gwambe Carlitos.
If the second letters are all the same, you look at the third letter, for example: Moses
Terrance, Morris Aloh, Moyo P.
The correct order would be Morris Aloh, Moses Terrance, Moyo P.
You may ask yourself this question now. What happens if the surnames are the same?
For example the people are all Zeemans: Zeeman Ruth, Zeeman David, Zeeman Elsie,
Zeeman Paul. You look at the first letter of the first name.
So the order would be Zeeman David, Zeeman Elsie, Zeeman Paul and Zeeman Ruth.
EXERCISE 2
Using the following telephone directory page, give the numbers of the following people
and organisations:
1. Tibiyo Insurance Brokers PTY LTD..............................................................................
2. Thwala Wilson M...........................................................................................................
3. Thwala Zakithi W...........................................................................................................
4. Tibane Ruth ....................................................................................................................
THWALA PHUMELELE S; KD024 Kwaluseni Campus .......................................518-6142

THWALA R.S. (Dr.) ................................................................................................506-4807
THWALA R.S. (Dr.); Siyeni Area ..........................................................................505-5703
THWALA REUBEN N.; Esiyeni Area Mzimnene ..................................................505-5722
THWALA ROBERT D.; Sterkstroom Township.....................................................505-3039
THWALA S.N. .........................................................................................................518-5403

THWALA S.S.; House 55 Teachers Quarters ..........................................................518-6302
Swazi National High School
THWALA S.S. (T.O); No. 6 Prince Flats.................................................................404-5559
THWALA SABELO M.; Sthomo Location .............................................................528-3614
THWALA SALILE P.; Room 3 Government Flats .................................................505-5813
Tenbergen Street
THWALA SAMSON DODA; Block A No. 4 Old Mobeni .....................................404-1685
THWALA SAMUEL M.; Etsheni ............................................................................207-9628
THWALA SIBUSISO A.; Mhlambanyatsi ..............................................................467-4358
THWALA SIMANGELE C.; Embekelweni ............................................................505-4788
THWALA SIMON; Block No. B2 Old Mobeni Flats..............................................404-3656
THWALA SIPHO M.; Thandanani Village .............................................................323-2052
THWALA THEMBA P.; Esicelwini ........................................................................505-6360
THWALA THEMBELA W.; Ticantfwini................................................................505-7220
THWALA THEMBI W.T.; Esiyeni ........................................................................505-7488
THWALA THOBILE B.; Ticantfwini .....................................................................505-3389
THWALA THOMAS T.T.; Mhlaleni Logoba..........................................................518-6244
THWALA THULANI P.; Block 13-1 Mobeni Flats................................................518-6195
THWALA TISITILE; Plot 1863 Dalriach................................................................442-0514
THWALA V.T.; No. 5 Coventry Flats .....................................................................404-6813
THWALA VELI E.; No. 57 Themba Crescent ........................................................467-4044
THWALA VUYISWA; Ntabamhlophe....................................................................422-1363
THWALA WILSON M.; Pine Valley ......................................................................404-1923
THWALA ZACHEUS; Mantabeni Area..................................................................467-4073
THWALA ZAKITHI N.; Mahlanya.........................................................................528-3746
THWALA ZAKITHI W.; Mahlanya Next To Hhandolo Church ............................528-3743
TIBANE J.P.; 3 Featherstone Flats...........................................................................404-0738
TIBANE PATRICK J.; Mbekelweni ........................................................................518-5123
TIBANE RUTH; Esiyeni..........................................................................................505-5854
TIBANE SIFISO; Mobeni South..............................................................................404-4683
TIBHUBUKATI POULTRY FARM; Ludzeludze...................................................518-4509
TIBIYO FRAZERS CASH AND CARRY (PTY) LTD; See Metro Cash & Carry
TIBIYO INSURANCE BROKERS (PTY) LTD; ....................................................404-5341
Swaziland Telephone Directory 1998 Page B1654

RESIDENTIAL AND POSTAL ADDRESSES
You can also use a directory to look for a residential and postal address of a person or
company. For some people and companies, the residential and postal addresses are the
same but for others they are different.
Look at this example
Jet Stores P.O. Box 492 MBABANE Swaziland.
Plot 2731 380 MBABANE MALL
Jet Stores postal address is P.O. Box 492 MBABANE Swaziland. Its residential address is
Plot 2731 380 Mbabane Mall.
For Jet Stores the postal and the residential addresses are different.
ACTIVITY
Using the following directory page, give the postal and residential addresses of the
following:
1. PHOTOFIX and Sounds (PTY) LTD Allister Miller Street Swazi Plaza P.O. Box
955 MBABANE.
2. Phoenix Electronics
Shop No. 12 Martin Street Manzini P. O. Box 30 MANZINI.
3. ADAMS C. P. O. Box 46 Nhlangano Plot 145 7th Street Nhlangano
1. Postal address: ................................................................................................................

Residential address:........................................................................................................
2. Postal address: ................................................................................................................
3. Postal address: ................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
1. Postal address is P.O. Box 955 MBABANE
Residential address is Allister Miller Street Swazi Plaza
2. Postal address is P.O. Box 30 MANZINI
Residential address is Shop No. 12 Martin Street MANZINI
3. Postal address is P.O. Box 46 NHLANGANO
Residential address is Plot 145 7th Street NHLANGANO
If you need to contact a person or a company, you may want to write or go to the place.
You can check the postal address and the residential address in the directory.
EXERCISE 3
Give the postal and residential addresses for the following people and companies:
1. Sharp Freight Swaziland (PTY) LTD
P.O. Box 1964 Matsapha
6th Avenue
Matsapha Industrial Sites
2. A & M Enterprises PTY LTD
Sheffield Road Industrial Sites
P.O. Box 2590
Mbabane
Swaziland
3. Dlamini J. M. B1-1214 Mvundla Road Lusoti Village
P.O. Box 547 Mbabane Swaziland
4. Hadebe E.A. P.O. Box 23 Mankayane Swaziland
Plot No. 1123
Thembelihle
5. FORWARD IN FAITH MINISTRIES Plot 36/72 Sidwashini South
P.O. Box 13 Mbabane Swaziland
1. ........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

2. ........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. ........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
4. ........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
5. ........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
TRADE INFORMATION
You will find trade information at the end of a directory. When you look at these pages you
find companies advertising themselves, giving their residential addresses, postal addresses,
telephone and fax numbers for contact. These are called yellow pages.
ACTIVITY
Read the information about Swazi Wire Industries Limited and answer these questions.
SWAZI
WIRE
INDUSTRIES
LIMITED
Producers of:
NAILS & FASTENERS
Std round wire & steel nails
Panel pins & clout nails
Roofing screws & hook bolts
Ring-shanked nails
CONCRETE PRODUCTS
Concrete fencing posts
Pre-cast walling

FENCING MATERIALS
Diamond mesh & netting
Veldspan & welded mesh
Barbed wire & razor wire
Steel posts & gates
SPECIALIST SERVICES
Security fencing
Automatic gates
Electric fencing
STEEL PRODUCTS
Brick force & reinforcing
Matsapha Industrial Sites
P.O. Box 9 Matsapha
Tel: 840-85213/86429
Fax: 86284
1. What is the residential address of Swazi Wire Industries Limited?

........................................................................................................................................
2. What is its postal address?
........................................................................................................................................
3. What is its telephone number?
........................................................................................................................................
4. What is its fax number?
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. Matsapha Industrial Sites
2. P.O. Box 9 Matsapha
3. 840-85213 or 840-86429
4. Fax number is 840-86284

EXERCISE 4
Scan the following directory page to find answers to the following questions.
1. Make a list of all the companies that repair radiators.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. How many companies deal with property development?
........................................................................................................................................
3. Give a list of the publishing companies.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
4. What is the residential address for Collect-a-Can?
........................................................................................................................................
5. Give the telephone number and the fax number for Thompson Radio (Pty) Ltd.
Telephone Number:........................................................................................................
Fax Number:...................................................................................................................
This brings us to the end of the lesson on how to use a telephone directory. We hope you
will now know what to do when you need to look for telephone numbers, fax numbers and
both postal and residential addresses for friends, relatives and companies.

3
LESSON
_____________
Using a textbook
In this lesson you will look at how a textbook is used. As a student you use a lot of
textbooks in your different subjects.
OBJECTIVE
name the chapter in which a given topic is most likely to be found, using
the contents page;
find meanings of difficult words using a glossary;
locate specific information using the index of a textbook.
When you get a textbook you can find the pages where each subject is covered in the table
of contents. It normally appears at the beginning of a textbook. Look at the example.
CONTENTS
Preface
To the Teacher
Use of the SI Units
Chapter 1 Introducing Science 1
Chapter 2 Looking at Living Things 12
Chapter 3 Particles of Matter 29
Chapter 4 Solutes and Solvents 46
Chapter 5 Energy 66
Chapter 6 Cells and Reproduction 75
Objective-type Exercises 99
List of Inorganic Ions and Molecules 114

Periodic Table 115
Answers 116
Index 117
ACTIVITY
You have been asked to read about Energy. You look at the table of contents to find out
which chapter you should turn to. Energy is in chapter 5 on page 66. Then you turn to that
page and start reading. Next you will be asked to read about Particles of Matter.
1. In which chapter can you find Particles of Matter?
........................................................................................................................................
2. Which pages are you going to read for Particles of Matter?
........................................................................................................................................
3. In which chapter can you find Cells and Reproduction?
........................................................................................................................................
4. Which pages are you going to read for Introducing Science?
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. Chapter 3
2. Pages 29 – 45
3. Chapter 6
4. Pages 1 – 11

EXERCISE 5
Look at this table of contents and then answer the questions that follow:
CONTENTS PAGE
Preface
To the Teacher iv
Use of the SI Units v
Chapter 1 The Earth 1
Chapter 2 Atomic Theory and Activity Series 48
Chapter 3 Heat Flow 73
Chapter 4 More About Electricity 87
Chapter 5 Food, Digestion and Transport 120
Chapter 6 Environment and Conservation 153
Chapter 7 Man and Diseases 177
Objective-type Exercises 193
List of Inorganic Ions and Molecules 210
Periodic Table 211
Answers 212
Index 213
(Mohapi Lerato and Mohapi Selai 1985)
1. Give the chapter and page numbers where you can read about Heat Flow.
........................................................................................................................................
2. What subject is in chapter 5?
........................................................................................................................................
3. From pages 1 – 47 what do you read about?
........................................................................................................................................

INDEX
When you want to read about something you can also use the index to help you find the
page number.
What is an index?
.................................................................................................................................................
An index, which appears at the end of many books, is an alphabetical list of topics and
subjects contained in the book. It gives all the important ideas and lists the pages where
they can be found. Let us say you have been asked to read about birds. A bird is a living
thing. First you would look at your table of contents and see that living things are in
chapter 2, book I. Chapter 2 is from page 12 to 28. You do not want to read all the
information about Living Things so you will turn to the index and look for the word
“birds.” It is on pages 25 and 26 so you know exactly which pages to turn to.

INDEX
Abdomen, 15 Datura, 81 Fertilization, 83,89
Acetone, 60 Degree Celsius, 2 external, 90
Air Pressure, 43 Density, 40 internal, 90
Alcohol, 60 Decotyledon, 24 Filament, 80
Algae, 24 Diffusion, 31 Filtration, 52, 58
Aloe, 80 in gases 31 Fishes, 25, 26
Amoeba, 77 in solids, 32 Flowers, insect-pollinated, 82
Amphibians, 25, 26 rate of, 32 wind-pollinated, 83
Amylacetate, 60 Dispersal, of fruits, 86 Flowering plants, 24
Aneroid barometer, 44 of seeds, 86 Fruits, 83
Anhydrous salt, 58 Distillate, 58 dispersal of, 86
Animal Kingdom 23, 25 Distillation, 53,58 Fungi
Antennae, 16 Dynamo, 69
Anther, 78, 79
Area, measurement of, 3,4,7 Ear lobes, 20 Gametes, 78
Atoms, 29,34,69 Earthworm Gases, 31, 40, 47
Atomic energy 69 Electrical energy diffusion in, 31
Atomic explosion, 69 Electricity, 67,69 expansion of, 43
Attraction, forces of 40 applications of, 68 Gas pressure, 39, 43
Automatic fire alarm sources of, 68 Gauge, Bourdon, 44
Element, 35,36 Generator, 69
Bacteria, 24 Elimination, 22 Geranium, 86
Balance, Butchart, 8 Embryo, 88, 89, 93, 94 Germinal disc, 89
Compressed spring, 8 Emulsifying agent, 62 Germination, 84
Spring, 8 Emulsion, 62 epigeal, 85
Ball and ring, 41 Endorthermic reaction, 56 hypogeal, 85
Bernoulli, Daniel, 39 Energy, 66 Gestation period, 93
Bi-metallic strip, 41 and living things, 72 Gram, 4
Binary fission, 78 atomic, 69 Growth, 22
Birds, 25, 26 chemical, 69
Bourdon gauge, 44 conversion of, 69
Bunsen burner, 9 converter, 72 Heartbeats, 8
Heat energy,
Electrical , 69 Hilum, 84
Calyx, 80 forms of 69 Histogram, 20
Carbohydrates, 72 heat, 66, 69 Hooke, Robert, 75
Cells, 76 in food, 72 Horsetails, -4
animals 77 kinetic, 69 Hour-glass, 8
plant, 77 light, 66, 69 Housefly, 16
sex 78 mechanical, 67 Hydrated salt, 59
Celscius scale 2 potential, 69 Humus, 13
Cerci, 16 sound, 69
Chaetae, 14 Euglena, 68
Chalaza, 88 Eureka can, 68 Invertebrates, 12, 25
Change, chemical, 38 Evaporation, 48, 57 Iodine, 39
permanent, 38 conditions for, 48 Irritability, 22
physical, 38 Exothermic reaction, 56
temporary, 38 Expansion, 41 Kerosene, 60
Chemical energy, 69 of gases, 43 Keys, 12,20,22
Chloroplasts, 23, 77 of liquids, 43 Kinetic energy, 69
Cockroach, 16 of solids, 41 Kinetic model, 40
Combustion, 71 Kinetic theory of matter, 39
Compounds, 35, 36, 38 Fallopian tubes, 93
making and breaking 35 Fats, 72
Corolla, 80 Feathers, 18 Larvae, 90
Ferns, 24 Laws of magnetism, 10
(Mohapi Lerato and Mohapi Selai 1985)

ACTIVITY
Look at the index on the previous page and answer the following questions.
1. Which page would you turn to if you wanted to read about cockroaches?
........................................................................................................................................
2. On how many pages can you find information on embryos?
........................................................................................................................................
3. On which pages is information on evaporation?
........................................................................................................................................
4. Flowers are pollinated in two ways. What are they?
........................................................................................................................................
5. Where would you read about fishes?
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. On page 16
2. Four
3. Pages 48, 57
4 by insects and by wind
5. Pages 25, 26

EXERCISE 6
Look at the index below and then answer the questions that follow.
INDEX
“A” and “the” 144 Oral work see Communication skills Tenses see verbs
Adjectives 144 Phrasal and prepositional verbs and Time phrases see Adverbs
Adverbs 23 nouns see Verbs Topic sentences 110,111
Auxiliaries see Verbs Prepositions 70, 87, 92-3 Verbs
Clauses Pronouns 78 auxiliaries 143
Main clauses 50, 146 “each other” 145 irregular verbs 148-9
Subordinate clauses 50, 146 personal pronouns 144 passive forms of the
Colloquial language and idiom 32, 92 relative pronouns 144 verbs122,143
Communication skills “self” pronouns 145 past participles 97-8
Apology and argument 22 Pronunciation 109,138, 145 phrasal and prepositional
Debates 35, 129 Punctuation 109,138,145 verbs 70, 78, 87
Descriptive language 94 Question tags 145 phrasal and prepositional verbs
Language 94 and nouns 143-4
Designing posters 84-5 Reading and comprehension work tenses 23, 32, 39-40, 135-6
Dialogues 31, 51, 78 information texts continuous tenses 141
Discussions 44, 41, 67, 90, 98-9 Bombers play hooky 92 future simple tenses 141-2
123-4 He may be successful, but… 33-34 future tense 14
Dramatization 26-7 Our land and natural resources past perfect tense 142
Exchanging information 43 82-3, 85 past simple tense 14, 32,141
Interviews 17 Playwright Peter’s starring role present perfect tense 142
Negotiation 114 29-30 present simple tense 14,32,141
Persucation 98-9 Public services 118-20 Verbs and nouns 128
Research and preparation 121 Soccer’s tough cookie 89-90 Word formation: suffixes, 108,115, 146
Sarcastic language 50 The human senses 96-7 Writing skills
Speeches, 61, 133 Poems composition topics 19, 28, 46, 55
Telephone conversation 104-6 Archaeological site 44 109, 125, 133, 135, 137
Composition topics see Writing skills Career woman 94 compositions, narrative 94
Comprehension skills Ifulaimachina 79-80 correcting work 55, 71
Comprehension questions 13, 22 The blind man 100 designing an advertisement 101
30-1, 39, 50, 66-7, 74, 84, 113, Stories designing posters 84
128, 135 Bible comes alive, The 36-8,42-3 letter writing
Comprehension and context skills Bushmen, The 64-5, 66 advice 35
108 Crow, The 72-4, 75-7 a complaint 115,117, 125
Creative writing skills see writing skills Danger in the snake pit 126-8 an apology 23
Direct speech 142 131-2 congratulations 32
Dramatisation see Communication skills Daudi and his bag 48-50, 52-3 informal 19, 54
Examination practice 134-8 Disaster at Level 12 10-12, 14-16 letters, samples 139
Idioms see Colloquial language and Lokotown 110-11, 112-13 organising ideas 70-1, 86
Idiom Talisman, The 20-21, 24-6 paragraphs 86
Indirect speech 114, 138, 142 Reference skills paraphrase and summary 74, 77,
Joining sentences 146 charts 61, 130 92, 94
Literacy skills 75, 79 contents lists 102, 103 planning a new development area 122
Newspaper articles see reading and dictionaries 18 planning your house 123
Comprehension work, encyclopedias 106-8 preparing a composition 45-6
Information texts glossaries 102 reports 63, 71, 86, 93, 99, 138
Newspapers 56-60 graphs 27 statistical information 27-8
Note-making 26, 52 indexes 104 reviews 61-3
Nouns 87,128 leaflets 104 summaries 65, 77, 92, 121, 133,
Compound nouns 79 lists 130 135, 137, 140
Countable nouns 144 maps 130 writing a biography 35
Proper nouns 144 tables 28, 109 writing a poem about a tree 81
Uncountable nouns 144 research skills 88, 121 writing a press release 18-9
Numbers questionnaires 124 writing a short story 71, 109
Cardinal and ordinal numbers 147 Study skills see Comprehension skills writing an encyclopaedia entry
109
writing from a flow chart 67-8
(Dawson 1988)

1. On which page can you read about adjectives?
........................................................................................................................................
2. On which pages can you read about summaries?
........................................................................................................................................
3. Where can you read about direct speech?
........................................................................................................................................
GLOSSARY
You have seen that the table of contents and index can help you find out which chapter or
page to turn to when you want to read about a certain topic. As you read books, you
sometimes find that there are new words and phrases that are difficult for you to
understand. In such cases you are sometimes provided with a glossary. Do you know what
a glossary is?
A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms or unusual words with explanations found in
some books. It is found either at the back of the book before the index or on the same page
or chapter in which the word has been used.
Here is an example of a glossary from a geography textbook.
altitude (Al-tuh-tood) Height above desert (DEZ-ert) Large area where
sea level. almost no rain falls.
axis (AK-sis) Imaginary line on which equator (ee-KWAY-ter) Imaginary cir-
the earth spins cle around the middle of the earth
capital (KAP-uh-tul) Place in a coun- glacier (GLAY-sher) Large mass of ice and
try where its government is located snow that moves slowly over the ground
climate (KLY-mit) Average weather in a humid (HYOO-mid) Very damp or wet
place over a long time island (EYE-land) Body of land completely
continent (KON-tu-nunt) One of the surrounded by water
six largest land masses on earth.
Europe is a continent.
(McCafferty 1995)

A glossary can also appear on the same page on which the word has been used. In this case
the words are not arranged alphabetically but in the order they are used on the page. Look
at this example:
Filtration is a method of separating an insoluble solid and a liquid. In some countries,
muddy river water is made cleaner by pouring it through a cloth tied to a pot. The mud and
sand grains cannot pass through the very small holes in the cloth but the water can. The
insoluble solid that remains on top of the cloth is called residue. The liquid that passes
through is called a filtrate. In this example, mud and sand grains are the residue and the
water is the filtrate.
Glossary
Residue means what is left
Filtrate is the name
given to the liquid
that passes through
the cloth or filter
paper into the
container.
In the glossary the word “residue” is explained before the word “filtrate” although the
word “filtrate” alphabetically comes before the word “residue.” The word “residue” is
explained first because it has been used before the word “filtrate.”
You use a glossary as a reference text in the same way as a dictionary. The difference is
that most glossaries give only the definition needed in that book.
A glossary is very helpful as you might find that some words or phases are new to you as
you read your textbook.

EXERCISE 7
Read this formal letter and then explain the underlined words
Glossary
1. Faulty:
.............................................. 18 Portavue Drive
Surrey Estate
..............................................
7764
..............................................
14 October 1996
..............................................
The Manager
2. Automatically: Paradise Warehouse
.............................................. 300 Klipfontein Rd
Athlone
..............................................
Sir
..............................................
Faulty electric toaster
..............................................
Last week I bought an electric toaster at the
3. Replace: Athlone branch of Paradise Warehouse.
However, when I tried it out at home, I
..............................................
discovered it was faulty. One side doesn’t heat
.............................................. up. Also the toast doesn’t pop up automatically
as advertised
..............................................
.............................................. I wish to return the toaster and I would like to
please replace it with one in good working order.
4. Receipt: I have enclosed a copy of my receipt. Please
contact me at 639 8981 as soon as a replacement
.............................................. can be arranged.
.............................................. Yours faithfully
.............................................. Linda Zulu
..............................................
(Jordi 1997)

This brings us to the end of the lesson on how to use a table of contents, index and
glossary. Knowing how to use these will save you time when reading and finding
information from a book.

LESSON
_____________ 4 Using a dictionary
In the last lesson you looked at how a textbook is used. In this lesson you will look at how
a dictionary is used. A dictionary is a necessary reference book as you study your English
course and other subjects. It is very important and useful to know how to use it.
OBJECTIVE
use alphabetical order to find words and their meanings;
give the abbreviations used in dictionaries to show parts of speech.
1. Do you have a dictionary?
.......................................................................................................................................
If you do not, try by all means to get one.
2. When you come across a word you do not understand, what do you do?
........................................................................................................................................
If there is no one to help you with an explanation, the best way to find a meaning to a word
is by using a dictionary. You will find that there are different kinds of dictionaries and they
are of different sizes. A dictionary will help you find the correct spelling of words, as well
as their pronunciation, meaning, parts of speech and other information.
All the words in a dictionary are in alphabetical order. Do you still remember what you
learnt about alphabetical order in Lesson 1, at the beginning of this unit?
We hope you still remember that in alphabetical order words are arranged according to the
first letter. When words begin with the same letter, they are arranged according to the
second letter. If both letters are the same, they are arranged according to the third letter and
so on. Knowing how to put words into alphabetical order will help you to find a word
easily in a dictionary, as you will know where to look for it.

ACTIVITY
Quickly arrange the following words in alphabetical order:
soccer, soak, soap, soil, sober, society
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
soak, soap, sober, soccer, society, soil
EXERCISE 8
Look up the word SURGEON in your dictionary and answer the following questions.
1. What is the first letter of the word?................................................................................
2. What is the second letter of the word? ...........................................................................
3. What is the last letter of the word?.................................................................................
4. Will you find the words starting with SU near the beginning or near the end of the S
words? Why?..................................................................................................................
5. Write down what SURGEON means .............................................................................
GUIDE WORDS
Now open any page in your dictionary. Look at the top of the page. Do you notice
anything?
Two words are printed in heavy black type. The word on the left is the same as the first
word on the page. The word on the right is the same as the last word on the page. These
two words are called GUIDE WORDS. They are there to help you find the word you are
looking for.

ACTIVITY
Look at the same page you have opened in your dictionary and answer the following
questions.
1. What are the guide words on the page you have opened?..............................................
2. Which word is printed on the top left side? Why? .........................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
3. Which word is printed on the top right side? Why?.......................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
We cannot give answers to these questions because you have different dictionaries and you
opened different pages. We can only answer the last part of questions 2 and 3.
2. It is the first word explained on the page.
3. It is the last word explained on the page.
EXERCISE 9
Quickly scan the following page. Underline the following words and then answer the
questions that follow:
pie, piece, pier, pierce and piffle

Picture Piglet
Picture [‘pickt(e) nc 1 a painting or drawing: this is a sculpted several pieces for the Pope’s tomb. 4 a coin of a
picture of my mother. 2. a photograph: I took a lot of particular value: a fifty-pence piece. 5 in chess, draughts
pictures when I was on holiday. 3. (Brit inf) a cinema film: and other games, a small shape made of wood, metal,
there’s a good picture on at the cinema tonight. See also plastic etc that is moved according to the rules of the game
the pictures below. 4. What is seen on a television screen: ‘piecework n(often attrib) work paid for according to the
the picture is not very good tonight – there’s some amount done, not the time taken to do
interference from somewhere 5.(no pl: with the) a symbol it: Thank goodness we aren’t being paid on a piecework
or perfect example (of something): she looked the picture basis!
of health/happiness. 6. nc (no pl: with a) beautiful sight: give (someone) a piece of one’s mind see mind
She looked a picture in her new dress ac (no pl) a clear go(all) to pieces (inf) or a person) to collapse physically or
description: He gave me a good picture of what was nervously: She went to pieces when her husband died.
happening. In pieces 1 with its various parts not joined. a piece of cake
– vt to imagine: I can picture the scene: Just try to picture (sl) something very easy (winning) the race was a piece of
the scene to yourself cake.
Picture window nc a large window through which an piece together vt sep to put (the pieces of something)
attractive view can be seen: One feature of this house is together. They tried to piece together the fragments of the
the picture window in the lounge. broken vase: (fig) we managed to piece together his story.
put (someone)/be in the picture to give or have all the to pieces into separate, usu small pieces, or into the
necessary information (about something); He put me in the various parts from which (something) is made the hair-drier
picture about what had happened the pictures (inf) the came to,pieces in my hands: it was so old, it just fell to
cinema: We went to the pictures last night, but it wasn’t a pieces when I touched it: The baby pulled the book to
very good film pieces: He took his car engine to pieces
picturesque [pikt’d’ resk) adj (more formal than pretty or piece de resistance (pjes de rezistas) nc formal the most
attractive (of places) pretty and interesting: He lives in a important or best thing (in series): I’ve designed some
very picturesque village; that little village is most beautiful dresses in the past, but this, I think, is my piece
picturesque. de resistance.
picturesquely adv. Picturesqueness nu pied [paid] adj. (formal or liter) (of birds, animals) of two or
piddle [‘pidl] vi (inf: often a child’s word) to urinate. The more colours, esp. black and white
puppy piddled on the carpet. pier [pie] nc 1 a platform of stone, wood etc stretching from
piddling [pidlin] adj (inf:attrib) unimportant; trivial: I’m not the shore into the sea, a lake etc used as a landing-place
interested in piddling little details for boats or as a place of entertainment: the passengers
like that stepped down on to the pier; There’s a café and a theatre
pidgin [piden] nc any of a number of languages which at the end of the pier. 2. (tech) a pillar supporting an arch,
consists of a mixture of English, French, Portuguese etc bridge etc
and some non-European (esp African) language: Beach-la- pierce [pies] vt 1 (of pointed objects) to go into or through
mar is a pidgin spoken In parts of the southern Pacific (something): The arrow pierced his arm (fig) A sudden light
Ocean; (attrib) a Pidgin language; (attrib) pidgin English pierced the darkness; (fig) The cold wind pierced them to
Pie [pai] ncu food baked in a covering of pastry: a the bone; (fig formal) Her misery pierced his heart; (fig) The
steak/apple pie; Does anyone want some more pie? sound of a woman’screams pierced the air. 2. to make a
have a finger in the/every pie see finger hole in or through (something) with a pointed obect: Pierce
pie in the sky something good promised for the future but the lid before attempting to remove it from the jar
which one is not certain or likely to get: Many Communists piercing adj 1 (usu attib) loud; shrill: a piercing scream. 2.
say that the Christian doctrine of heaven is just pie in the (of cold weather, winds etc) sharp; intense: a piercing wind;
sky; He says he will get a well-paid job but it’s just pie in the piercing of a cold winter’s night: that wind is piercing. 3
the sky. (usu attrib) looking intently or sharply as though able to see
piebald [paid;ld] adj (usu of horses) black and through things: piercing eyes; a piercing glance. piercingly
white in patches adv. ‘piercingness nu
piece [pi:s] nc 1 part of anything: a piece of cake; There piety see pious
are over a hundred pieces in this jigsaw puzzle; He piffle [pifl] nu, interj (ing) nonsense: That’s just a lot of
examined the tea-set carefully piece by piece (=each piece piffle; ‘He’s going to be the next managing director’ ‘piffle!’
separately); a fifty-piece orchestra (=an orchestra with fifty pig [pig] nc 1 a kind of farm animal whose flesh is eaten as
people in it); an eighteen-piece tea-set. – See also in pork, ham and bacon: He keeps pigs. 2 (inf. derog) an
pieces and to pieces below. 2 a single thing or example of unpleasant, greedy or dirty person: you pig! You’ve eaten
something: a piece of paper; a piece of news. 3 a the whole cake!
composition in music, writing (an article, short story etc), ‘piggy nc (inf) a child’s word for a (little pig)- adj (inf derog:
drama, sculpture etc. He wrote an informative piece on attrib) like a pig: piggy eyes
social reform in the local newspaper; Michelangelo piglet [-lit] nc a baby pig

1. What are the guide words on this page?.........................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. Why does the word “pier” come after the word “piece”? ..............................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. Why does the word “piffle” come after the word “pierce”? ..........................................
........................................................................................................................................
4. Why does the word “piddle” come before “piddling”?..................................................
........................................................................................................................................
5. Would you find the word “pin” on the same page? .......................................................
Why? ..............................................................................................................................
SPELLING
When you write compositions or any other piece of work, you often find that you make
spelling mistakes. Your dictionary can help you with the correct spelling of words. Look at
the following misspelled words and use your dictionary to find the correct spelling.
ACTIVITY
decieve .....................................................................................................................................
magazin....................................................................................................................................
seperate ....................................................................................................................................
umberela...................................................................................................................................
mathemetics .............................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
1. deceive
2. magazine
3. separate
4. umbrella
5. mathematics
It is always important to spell words correctly. Spelling some words wrongly might change
the meaning and you end up with the wrong information.
ACTIVITY
Underline the correct words from those given in brackets to make your sentences
meaningful.
The Queen has (reined, reigned) for a long time.
We have to (die, dye) our hair.
Last (weak, week) she came to visit me.
ANSWERS
1. reigned
2. dye
3. week
You must have noticed that it is easy for you to choose the wrong word as these sound the
same, but the spelling is different. Reading the whole sentence guides you to which word is
correct. Spelling words correctly is important in order to give meaningful information.

EXERCISE 10
Use your dictionary to choose the correctly spelt word in each of the following sentences,
and underline it.
1. His face went (pail, pale) with fright.
2. The bus (fair, fare) has gone up.
3. The (principle, principal) of the college is a woman.
4. The prince was (air, heir) to the throne.
5. He has some (serial, cereal) for breakfast.
PARTS OF SPEECH
Open your dictionary and look up the word “major.” After the pronunciation symbol there
are some abbreviations: “adj.” “n” “v.”
What do you think these stand for?
“adj.”
“n”
“v”
These show what part of speech the word is. Your dictionary shows whether a word is a
noun, verb, pronoun, adjective or adverb.
1. pied adj. (part of speech adjective) of birds, animals of two or more colours, esp
black and white.
The abbreviation “adj.” after the word shows that the word has been used as an
adjective.
2. pig/pig/ n: (noun) a plump short-legged animal with a curly tail and pink or black
skin.
The abbreviation “n.” shows that the word has been used as a noun.
As you look at words in your dictionary, you will notice that a word can be a different part
of speech depending on how it has been used. For example, the word “major” can be used
both as an adjective and as a noun.

1. major adj chief, greater when compared with others, in size, number or importance.
My major problem is speaking English.
The word “major” has been used as an adjective.
2. major n. rank of an officer in the army.
Mr. Banda is a major in the army.
The word “major” has been used as a noun.
ACTIVITY
Use each of the following words in two sentences, first as a verb and then as a noun. Use
your dictionary to help you with the meanings.
1. shoot .............................................................................................................................. verb
........................................................................................................................................ noun
2. row.................................................................................................................................. verb
........................................................................................................................................ noun
3. show................................................................................................................................ verb
........................................................................................................................................ noun
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. a. The police were ordered to shoot anyone trying to escape.
b. The boys were told not to destroy the shoot of that tree.
2. a. Themba will row his boat in the race.
b. The naughty students sit in the front row.
3. a. I will show you how to do it.
b. They like watching the comedy show on television.

EXERCISE 11
Say whether the underlined words have been used as nouns or verbs in the following
sentences. Write “n” for nouns and “v” for verbs.
Example
The naughty boys sit in the front row. (n)
1. We cross a river when going to school. ( )
2. The teacher drew a cross on the board. ( )
3. Mrs. Moyo wears a diamond ring. ( )
4. The principal will ring the bell for assembly. ( )
5. The guards were told to shoot the thief. ( )
6. The tree had green shoots. ( )
7. I prefer to travel by train rather than driving. ( )
8. Dan wants to train as a doctor. ( )
MEANING
Looking at the word “major” again, do you notice that it has different meanings? You can
find out what the word means by looking at how it has been used in a sentence or passage.
Look at the following examples:
1. His major concern is passing the examination.
2. My uncle is a major in the army.

ACTIVITY
Use each of the following words in two sentences showing the difference in meaning.
1. march
2. safe
3. ring
4. race
5. fire
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. Her birthday is in March.

The students decided to march to the principal’s office.
2. The secretary keeps all the money in a safe.
It is not safe to go out at night.
3. The head prefect will ring the bell at lunchtime.
He bought her a gold ring on her birthday.
4. Patrick won the hundred metre race.
I am going to race my brother to the store.
5. A fire broke out and burnt everything in the warehouse on Friday.
The police officer ordered his men to fire at the enemy.
Different meanings of words are all listed in your dictionary.

EXERCISE 12
Each of the following words has two or more meanings. Use each word in two sentences
showing the difference in meaning.
Example: mark
MARK – 1. There is a greasy mark on my skirt.
2. I have to mark your work before coming to class.
WORDS
1. mine
2. lie
3. cross
4. tear
5. match
This brings us to the end of how you can use a dictionary. We hope you will now find it
easy to look for words and meanings using your dictionary. We are now going to look at
another reference book, which is the encyclopaedia.

5
LESSON
_____________
Using an encyclopaedia
In the last lesson you looked at how you can use a dictionary. In this lesson you are going
to look at how you can use an encyclopaedia, which, like a dictionary, is a reference book.
An encyclopaedia is often a set of books, usually found in libraries, and they give
information on many subjects in detail.
OBJECTIVE
find a required volume of an encyclopaedia using alphabetical order;
find required information using index and guide words;
find information about a given topic and answer specific questions.
You have seen how useful a dictionary is in helping you find the meanings of words. An
encyclopaedia will help you find information about something in detail. It gives more
information on many different subjects such as people, places, events and many other
specific things. Like in a dictionary, the information is arranged in alphabetical order.
Encyclopaedias are often divided into sets, known as volumes. These volumes are
numbered. The first volume begins with the letter “A” and the last ends with the letter
“Z.” There are different types of encyclopaedias. You can find a one-volume
encyclopaedia. This is one that covers all the information from “A” to “Z” in one volume.
It is not divided into separate volumes. You can also find encyclopaedias with more than
one volume. This is when many things begin with the same letter and all the information
cannot be covered in one volume. You then have the information covered in more than one
volume.
The alphabet letters marking the volumes are written on the spine of the volumes. These
letters tell you which volume to use when looking for specific information. Let us say the
letters “A-B” are marked on the cover. This means that you will find information you need
on words that begin with letters A and B in this volume. Some are marked “C-E.” This
means that you will find information on words beginning with the letters, C, D and E in the
volume. So, it is helpful and quicker to find what you are looking for by looking at the
letters on the cover and then you can find the information inside your volume.

ACTIVITY
Look at this set of children’s encyclopaedias and then answer the questions that follow.
INDEX
1. In what order are these arranged?

........................................................................................................................................
2. How many volumes are there?
........................................................................................................................................
3. In which volume would you look for information about music?
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. Alphabetically
2. Fifteen
3. Volume 9

EXERCISE 13
Answer the following questions

1. What is a one-volume encyclopaedia?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. When do you have an encyclopaedia with more than one volume?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. Look at the children’s encyclopaedia drawing on the previous page. In which
volumes would you look for the following?
a. ambulance
...............................................................................................................................
b. electricity
...............................................................................................................................
c. literature
...............................................................................................................................
d. soccer
...............................................................................................................................
GUIDE WORDS
Like a dictionary, an encyclopaedia also has guide words. Do you still remember from
your lesson on using dictionaries what these are? If you have forgotten, review guide
words in Lesson 4.
Guide words are two words printed on the top of a page on the right- and left-hand corners.
The word on the left is the same as the first word explained on the page. The word on the
right is the same as the last word explained on the page. These words help you to find the
information you are looking for quickly as they are alphabetically arranged.

ACTIVITY
Answer the following questions.
1. What are the guide words below?
........................................................................................................................................
2. Why is “newspapers” on the top right-hand side?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
Nervous System Newspapers

NERVOUS SYSTEM. The name given to combined arrangement NEWFOUNDLAND is a large island lying off the coast of N.
of brain, spinal cord and nerves, by which the various activities America at the entrance to the St. Lawrence River. It was
of the body are controlled. The brain, protected by the skull, is discovered by Cabot in 1497, and was once the oldest of the
made up of countless nerve-cells; because of the colouring of British colonies, but since 1949 it has been part of Canada. The
most of these cells the brain is often referred to as ‘grey-matter’. island has long been famous for its cod fisheries in the shallow
The spinal cord, also consisting of nerve-cells, runs through the seas of the Grand Banks, off the S.E coast, and also for the
middle of the separate bones or vertebra that make up the manufacture of wood pulp and paper from its great forests. The
backbone. Branching out from the brain and the spinal column to province of Newfoundland includes Labrador, the most easterly
all parts of the body are bundles of nerve-fibres, like fine wires in part of the Canadian mainland, where Eskimos live by fishing
a cable, and called nerves. and trapping. The capital, on the east coast of the island is St.
The sensory nerves (so called because they are concerned John’s. Map 38.
with the senses) take messages inwards to the brain from the eyes NEW GUINEA is a very large island lying to the north of
(sight), the nose (smell), the tongue (taste), the skin (touch), and Australia and near the equator. It is a mountainous country, and
the ears (hearing and balance). The motor nerves take messages there are primitive and savage tribes living in the tropical forests
outwards to the muscles that operate the moving parts of the body. of the interior, much of which is unexplored. The government of
For example, if a very hot iron is touched, the sensory nerves the country is shared between Indonesia in the west and
inform the brain that the iron is dangerously hot, and the motor Australia in the east. Map 7.
nerves sent back a message to the muscles of the arm to make
them jerk the hand away. The central nervous system (the brain NEW ORLEANS, the chief city at Louisiana, in the south of the
and the spinal cord) is therefore like a telephone exchange, and U.S.A., has had a varied history. It was founded by the French
the nerves are like cables that connect the exchange to various in 1718, taken over by Spain in 1763, returned to the French in
instruments. Some muscular movements occur involuntarily - that 1800, and bought by the U.S.A. in 1803. Many French and
is, whether we wish them to or not; these include breathing, the Spanish customs still continue there. The city is on the
beating of the heart, and digestion. All these processes are Mississippi, where it flows to the Gulf of Mexico through a delta:
controlled by the nervous system it is very low lying, and is protected from the river by
embankments called levees. New Orleans is an important
See also EAR; EYE; MUSCLES; NOSE; SKIN. market and seaport for the cotton grown in the southern states
NETTLE. A plant whose leaves and stem are covered with of the U.S.A. Map 3. See also MISSISSIPPI.
sharp-pointed hairs, each of which is a micro-scopically-fine tube NEWSPAPERS. The first English daily newspaper appeared
through which a stinging fluid is passed into the flesh of any-one in1702; before that time, many people got their information from
who touched the plant. The nettle is a weed, but the leaves can news-letters that contained gossip gathered in the coffee
be cooked as a vegetable when young, and the stems contain a houses. The modern newspaper obtains news from the great
strong fibre sometimes used for rope-making. One kind of nettle news agencies, from full-time journalists and reporters, and from
has no sting; this is the dead-nettle, which has white flowers and part-time correspondents; the news pours in by cable wireless,
leaves that are smaller than those of stinging-nettle. telephone, and teleprinter. The items to be published are
NEW FOREST. A woodland district of Hampshire that has been selected and titled by sub-editors, who are responsible to the
a royal forest since the time of William the Conqueror; it provided editor; in addition there are articles and ‘features’ on various
great quantities of oak for shipbuilding in the days when topics, and there is usually a leading article or leader in which
warships were called ‘the wooden walls of England’. The wild the editor expresses his own opinions on important events. It is
ponies of the New Forest are a feature of the district. Map 1F2 the advertisements that make it possible to sell newspapers
cheaply; business firms pay the newspapers hundreds of
thousands of pounds for the use of advertising space.
(Waight 1973)
ANSWERS
1. Nervous System and Newspapers
2. Because it is the last word explained on the page
EXERCISE 14
1. Why are guide words printed on the top left- and right-hand corners of an
encyclopaedia page?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. Why does NEW FOREST come before NEW GUINEA?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. Why does NEW ORLEANS come after NEW GUINEA?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
INDEX
You have already seen what an index is in the lesson on using textbooks. An index is a list
of all names and topics you can find in a book. It appears at the end of the book.
Encyclopaedias have an index which can be found at the end of the last volume. This index
gives information on subjects covered and the volumes in which this information can be
found. If you look back at the children’s encyclopaedia on page 52 you can see that
Volume 15 includes an index. This index tells you where to look for certain topics and
what volumes to use. Encyclopaedias like the Britannica have index books, which tell you
which volumes have information about your topic.

In a one-volume encyclopaedia, the index is found at the end of the book. It gives you the
pages on which to find information. So, if you want to find out about something, it is
always best to look in the index first because it will tell you exactly where to find it and
save you time. Look at the sample of an index page below. Do you notice anything about
how the page numbers are written? Some are written in heavy type (bold). This means that
you will find a whole section on the topic on this page. Other page numbers are written in
light type. This means you can find out something about the topic on these pages but not
all the information is given.
Look at the index page below and then answer the questions that follow.
silver INDEX tape recorder
silver 9, 28, 136 squirrel 56, 73

skin 35, 90 stalactites 76
slaves 104, 131 stalagmites 76
slow-worm 17, 134 Stalin 147
smell 6, 140 Stanley 148
smuggling 25 starfish 131
snow 47, 136 stars 124
soap 136 Stars and Stripes 19, 32
Socrates 140 steam 86, 186
Solar system 11, 24 steppes 101
Solomon 32, 112 stings 176
solstice 124 stoat 3, 164
sound 17, 105 Stone Age 94
South Africa 141 Strauss 80, 148
South America 142 string
South Pole 30, 142 submarine 136
soya 79 Sudan 47, 170
space 14, 38, 65, 110 sulphur 60
Spain 70, 145 sun 172
spectrum 89 swallow 19
spider 146 Syria 149
spine 66, 93
spirit 81 Taiwan 8, 151
spring 165 tambourine 82, 94
squid 48 tape recorder 130
(McCafferty 1995)

ACTIVITY
Answer the following questions
1. What is an index?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. What are the guide words?
........................................................................................................................................
3. On what pages can you find information on Stars and Stripes?
........................................................................................................................................
4. On what pages can you find full information on space and Taiwan?
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. A list of all names and topics you can find in a book. It usually appears at the end of
the book.
2. Silver and tape recorder
3. Pages 19, 32
4. Pages 110 and 151
We hope you got all the answers right.

EXERCISE 15
taste INDEX wheel
taste 43 Urals 122

tea 63 uranium 103, 182
teeth 63 Uruguay 182
telephone 108, 144
television 109 Vatican 16, 183
Tensing 46 veins 67
Thames, River 153 Venus 67
thermostat 17 vibration 184
timber 182 Victory, HMS 98, 153
tin 139 violin 81
Tintagel 28, 147 voice 65, 82
toad 120 volcano 184
tongue 64 vulture 30, 184
touch 22, 66
Trafalgar 98, 152 Wales 184
trawler Washington 18, 178
triangle 83 wasps 184
trout 74 water 3, 27, 185
tundra 134 weasel 14
Turin 59 weather 185
turtle 176 weight 124
typhoon 177 Westminster 185
whale 128, 185
United Kingdom 11, 188 wheat 47, 68
universe 65, 110 wheel 10, 186
1. What are the guide words on this page?

........................................................................................................................................
2. On which page can you find out about timber?
........................................................................................................................................
3. On which page does a whole section about the United Kingdom start?
........................................................................................................................................
4. How many different pages will tell you something about the telephone? Give the
pages.
........................................................................................................................................

5. Make a list of the things you could find out about on
PAGE 184 PAGE 185 PAGE 153

.............................................. ..................................... .........................................
.............................................. ..................................... .........................................
.............................................. ..................................... .........................................
.............................................. ..................................... .........................................
.............................................. ..................................... .........................................
FINDING INFORMATION
You have already noticed that an encyclopaedia gives more information about particular
topics or words. Let us say you have been asked by your teacher to find some information
about eggs and you find this explanation from a children’s encyclopaedia.
EGGS The female of mammals, birds, fish,

insects and reptiles produce eggs. These have
to join with the sperm of the male before they will grow.
Fish lay their eggs in the water. The eggs are
usually surrounded by a jelly-like substance.
Some fish lay millions of eggs at a time, but
many of these are eaten and do not hatch.
Insects protect their eggs in many varied ways:
bees place them in cells, spiders cover them
with silky bags, and mosquitoes lay them on the
water in little floating rafts.
The eggs of birds and of most reptiles have hard
shells and are hatched outside the mother’s body.
The yolk and the “white” are a food store which is
used up by the embryo or partly formed creature as
it develops. When the embryo is fully formed
it pecks or bites its way out of the shell.
The eggs of mammals (that is, creatures which

feed their young on their own milk) are very small
and are developed inside the mother’s body: this
is what happens with human beings. The eggs
develop in an internal organ called the womb, and
when the animal or child is fully developed it
is born into the outside world.
ACTIVITY
1. Which animals produce eggs?
........................................................................................................................................
2. Where do the eggs of mammals develop?
........................................................................................................................................
3. a. How are birds’ and most reptiles’ eggs protected?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
b. Where do they hatch?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. females of reptiles, mammals, fish, birds and insects.
2. in the female body
3. a. by shells
b. outside the mothers’ body
From this information on eggs, more details have been given and you have more points for
your teacher than if you had only looked in a dictionary.

EXERCISE 16
Answer the following questions based on the information given about eggs.
1. Fish do not lay their eggs in water. True or false?
........................................................................................................................................
2. What information did you find about insect eggs?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. How does a human being’s egg develop?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
Check your answers at the end of the unit..
This brings us to the end of how you can use an encyclopaedia. We hope you will find it
easy to use one when you want to find more information on a topic or subject.

LESSON
_____________ 6 Using a library
In the last lesson you looked at how you can use an encyclopaedia. This is a reference book
often found in libraries. In this lesson you are going to look at how you can use a library. A
library is a building or room in which different collections of books and other materials are
kept for people to read or borrow for reading.
OBJECTIVE
find information in the library;
find books by using their classification numbers.
Have you ever been to a library?

As a student, you have to visit a library quite often, as it is a quiet place for studying and
reading. You can find many books there. These can help you discover new ideas and find
answers to questions. You can refer to books for information and read them for pleasure.
There are three kinds of materials that you can find in any good library. These are books,
reference materials and periodicals. Some libraries keep video cassettes, audiotapes, films
and other materials which you can borrow. Most libraries have a card catalogue. This is a
list of all the books and materials you can find in a library. There is a card for every book
and it tells you where to find books on shelves. The cards are arranged alphabetically.
The book section in a library is divided into two main sections. These are fiction and non-
fiction.
FICTION
In this section you find books that are based on made-up stories. These are imaginary
stories about people and events. Fiction encourages reading for pleasure. These books are
kept in a separate section from the non-fiction materials on the shelves. They are arranged
in alphabetical order by the author’s surname first and then the titles. The first three letters
of the author’s surname are written on the spine of each book and then the letter “F” (for
fiction). This differs from non-fiction books which are marked by numbers on their spines.
There is also a card for every fiction book owned by the library.

So, if you want to read a book by a particular writer, you can check on the shelves or look
in the catalogue to find the card. You will find it easy to get what you want as these are
alphabetically arranged. If you are not looking for anything particular, you can just look
around until you find something that interests you.
ACTIVITY
Answer the following questions on what you have learnt about fiction.
1. What is fiction?
........................................................................................................................................
2. How are the books arranged on the shelves?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. How are the books marked on the spine?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. Stories not based on facts but are imaginary.
2. In alphabetical order by the author’s surname first and then the title.
3. The first three letters of the author’s surname and the letter “F.”
NON-FICTION
In this section you find books and other materials which are based on facts. Examples are
textbooks, reference books and other books with information that is factual. These books
are kept on separate shelves from the fiction section. There is also a card for each book
which helps you find out if a particular book is in the library. Non-fiction books are
marked differently from fiction. They are marked with numbers and placed on the shelves
in number order. Each number stands for a special subject and books on the same subject
share the same number and are kept together on the shelves. For example, books about
technology have the same number and are kept together. Besides the numbering, the books
are also arranged in alphabetical order by authors and titles.

The method of arranging books by number and subject is called the Dewey Decimal
System. It divides books into ten main sections in numbers.
Dewey Subjects Dewey numbers

section begin with
number
000 General: encyclopedias, directories 0
100 Philosophy: books about ideas 1
200 Religion: books about religions 2
300 Social Science: education, politics, transport 3
(road, rail, sea, air), customs, army, navy, air
force
400 Language: English and other languages 4
500 Science: maths, nature, astronomy, physics, 5
plants, chemistry, biology, birds, animals
600 Technology: engineering, radio, TV, 6

medicine, food, farming, building, printing
700 The Arts: painting, music, drawing, 7
photography, dance, sports, hobbies
800 Literature: poems, plays, books about 8
writers
900 History, Geography, Travel: other countries, 9

things that happened in the past
From the ten sections above notice that books on the same subject share the same number.
Knowing the number under which a subject is marked makes it easier and quicker for you
to find the books you are looking for on the shelves. For example, you will look for books
on Language under numbers 400-499 and on Technology between 600 and 699.

ACTIVITY
Answer the following questions:
1. What is a non-fiction book?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. How are non-fiction books arranged on shelves?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. What is the name of this method for arranging non-fiction books?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. A book with information that is based on facts
2. By numbers
3. Dewey Decimal System
REFERENCE MATERIALS
You can also find a reference section in the library. This is where reference books such as
dictionaries, encyclopaedias, atlases, yearbooks and periodicals are found. These are also
kept on separate shelves and they are used inside the library only. You are not allowed to
borrow them. You refer to these when you want to find some information. You have seen
this in the lesson on using a dictionary and using an encyclopaedia. In some libraries, you
have to get permission from the librarian to use the reference section.

ACTIVITY
1. Write down two types of reference books you can find in a library.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. Under which numbers do you find reference materials in the Dewey Decimal
System?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. dictionaries and encyclopaedias, atlases, yearbooks, periodicals (any two)
2. 000-099
PERIODICALS
Every library has a section or special room for periodicals. While you can borrow books
from a library you cannot borrow periodicals. You only read these inside the library.
Periodicals are magazines, journals, newsletters, newspapers and diaries that are published
at regular intervals, and these mostly give information on current events.
ACTIVITY
1. Can you name any local magazine that is published in your country?
2. What kind of information do you find in such a magazine?
In your magazine you find news about what is happening in your own country as well as in
other countries. It can give information on politics, entertainment, fashion, sports,
advertisements and reports on other topics.
Most libraries have current periodicals on display, filed alphabetically on the racks. These
are removed after a certain period of time and bound in volumes.

Periodicals, whether published daily, weekly or monthly, provide helpful information often
written by different people. Unless you are looking for specific information from a past
periodical, it is always best to read current ones as they will give information on what is
happening at the present time.
So when you visit your library, make sure you spend some time in the periodicals section,
as you will find a wide range of information.
ACTIVITY
Answer the following question
1. What are periodicals?
ANSWER
1. These are magazines, journals, newsletters, newspapers and other reading materials
that are published regularly.
The following exercise covers everything you have learnt in this lesson.

EXERCISE 17
Answer the following questions.

1. What are the three kinds of materials that you can find in a good library?
2. What is a card catalogue?
3. What are the two main sections of the book section?
4. How are non-fiction books marked on the spine?
5. Are reference books fiction or non-fiction?
6. Give any two types of periodicals.
7. Why is it a good idea to read current periodicals?

This brings us to the end of how you can use a library and to the end of the unit. We hope
you will now find it easy to find books and other information when you visit a library.
SUMMARY
In this unit you have looked at:
• how letters and words are arranged in alphabetical order;
• how you use reference materials such as textbooks, telephone directories
and dictionaries;
• how you can use encyclopaedias to find information that you need;
• how to use a library;
• how to use the classification numbers to locate books in the library.

ANSWERS
EXERCISE 1
1. address, disease, mountain, night, wrong

2. fence, flesh, four, freeze, future
3. practice, prepare, press, prison, prize
EXERCISE 2
1. 404-5341
2. 404-1923
3. 528-3743
4. 505-5854
EXERCISE 3
1. Postal – P.O. Box 1964

Matsapha
Residential – 6th Avenue Matsapha Industrial Sites
Mbabane
Swaziland
Residential – Sheffield Road Industrial Sites
Mbabane
Swaziland
Residential – B1-1214 Mvundla Road Lusoti Village
Mankayane
Swaziland
Residential – Plot number 1123 Thembelihle

Mbabane
Swaziland
Residential – Plot 36/72 Sidwashini South
EXERCISE 4
1. a. Minorkas Radiator Services, Grootfontein

b. Coolmaster Radiators, Ongwediva and Oshakati
c. Coastal Radiators, Swakopmund
d. Clutch and Brake Supplies, Walvis Bay
e. Radiator Services, Windhoek
2. Two
3. a. Gamsberg Macmillan
b. Just Ads The Smalls Paper
c. Out of Africa Publishers
d. Soundbyte Productions
4. 10 Eugene Marias Street
5. Telephone number 237533
Fax number 237536
EXERCISE 5
1. Chapter 3 pages 73 - 86
2. Food, Digestion and Transport
3. The Earth
EXERCISE 6
1. Page 144
2. Pages 65, 77, 92, 121, 133, 135, 137, 140
3. Page 142

EXERCISE 7
1. Faulty – have something wrong.

2. Automatically – working by itself without direct human control
3. Replace – to take the place of something
4. Receipt – a paper that shows you have received something
EXERCISE 8
1. S
2. U
3. N
4. Near the end because the second letter in “SU” is near the end of the alphabet.
5. A doctor who carries out operations.
EXERCISE 9
1. Picture and piglet

2. Because the fourth letter “r” in “pier” comes after the fourth letter “c” in “piece”
3. Because the third letter “f” in “piffle” comes after the letter “e” in “pierce”
4. Because the sixth letter “e” in “piddle” comes before the letter “i” in “piddling”
5. No. Because the letter “n” comes after the letter “g” in “pig”
EXERCISE 10
1. pale
2. fare
3. principal
4. heir
5. cereal

EXERCISE 11
1. “v”
2. “n”
3. “n”
4. “v”
5. “v”
6. “n”
7. “n”
8. “v”
EXERCISE 12
Your sentences will be different. These are just examples.

1. a. This pen is mine
b. My uncle works in a coal mine.
2. a. Mrs. Nkomo told Leo not to lie about having gone to town without
permission.
b. He was told to lie on his back for two hours.
3. a. The school children cross a river when going to the shops.
b. I was cross with him for being late.
4. a. Do not tear that page from that book.
b. A tear rolled down his cheek.
5. a. We will watch the soccer match on television.
b. Your black trousers do not match your old jacket.

EXERCISE 13
1. One in which you find information from “A” to “Z” covered in one volume.
2. When information cannot be covered in one volume
3. a. 1
b. 5
c. 9
d. 12
EXERCISE 14
1. Left – to show the first word explained on the page

Right – to show the last word explained on the page
2. “F” in “forest” comes before the “G” in “Guinea” alphabetically.
3. “O” in “Orleans” comes after the “G” in “Guinea.”
EXERCISE 15
1. taste and wheel

2. Page 182
3. Page 188
4. Two pages: 108 and 144
5. Page 184 Page 185 Page 153
vibration water Thames River
volcano weather Victory, HMS
vulture Westminster
Wales whale
wasps

EXERCISE 16
1. False
2. Protect their eggs in different ways.
Bees keep them in cells.
Spiders cover them with silky bags.
Mosquitoes lay them on water.
3. Inside the mother’s body.
4. Develops in the womb and when the child is fully developed, it is born.
EXERCISE 17
1. Books, reference materials and periodicals

2. A list of all the books and materials kept in a library
3. Fiction and non-fiction
4. Numbered according to the Dewey Decimal System
5. Non-fiction
6. Newspapers and magazines
7. They give information about what is happening at the present time.

Intensive Reading 3
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Unit 3, which is the last in this module. In Unit 1 you saw that the method of
reading that you use is often guided by the purpose, which is the reason why you are
reading that particular material. In Unit 2 you looked at using alphabetical order and
reference skills which covered how to use a dictionary, an encyclopaedia, a telephone
directory, a textbook and a library. Knowing how to use all these will improve your
understanding of what you read.
In this unit you will look at Intensive Reading, which is looking closely at what you read to
get a better understanding (comprehension).
In order to understand what you are reading, you have to ask yourself why you are reading
the passage. Once you know why, you should read the passage as quickly as possible to get
a general idea of what it is about. As you read, keep asking yourself questions to check your
understanding. It is advisable to read the passage twice. You may even write some notes.
Once you have understood what you have read, you should be able to answer different types
of questions. You will have to answer questions which will test to see if you have
understood the surface meaning of the text. These questions will require you to give facts
about the text.
You will also answer questions which will require you to draw valid inferences from the
text. These questions will test if you have understood what is implied rather than what is
directly stated in the passage.
OBJECTIVES
answer factual questions based on a passage;
show the difference between facts and opinions;
answer questions testing implied meaning, using information given in the

passage;
answer true or false questions;
answer multiple choice questions;

give meanings of new words as used in the passage;
identify the order in which a series of events happened in a passage or

story;
make notes and summarise main ideas in a passage;
interpret information presented in charts, graphs and diagrams;
describe the feelings, qualities and motives of a character in an extract

and form opinions;
describe the writer’s attitude towards his/her subjects;
distinguish between formal and informal language.
UNIT CONTENT This unit is divided into twelve lessons
Lesson 1 Answering factual questions
Lesson 2 Fact and opinions
CONTENT
Lesson 3 Implied meaning questions
Lesson 4 True or false questions
Lesson 5 Multiple choice questions
Lesson 6 Meanings of words
Lesson 7 Identifying points in chronological order
Lesson 8 Making notes to summarise
Lesson 9 Interpreting information presented in

charts
Lesson 10 Feelings, qualities, motives and opinions
Lesson 11 Understanding the writer's attitude
Lesson 12 Formal and informal language

LESSON
_____________
Answering factual questions
We are now going to look at factual questions and see how you answer these when the need
arises. You will be required to answer these questions using facts from what you have read.
OBJECTIVE
answer factual questions on a piece of writing.
Factual information is based on what is true. Factual questions require you to give a true
account of what you have read. Answers to these questions are directly stated in the
passage. All you do is to look for the facts from the passage without adding extra
information or giving your own opinion.
ACTIVITY
Read the following paragraph and then answer the questions.
The position of women is different in different countries. In some countries women
can easily take good jobs; they can become doctors, lawyers, high-up civil servants,
even prime ministers. In other countries, parents are not willing to let their girls go to
school or at least not to the higher classes. As soon as they can read and write, they are
told to leave school. The attitude is “if a girl is going to get married in a few years,
what is the use of all the study?”
1. What is the position of women in different countries?

........................................................................................................................................
2. Why are some parents not willing to let their girls study in higher classes?
........................................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
1. It differs in different countries.
This answer is from line one and nothing more has been added.
2. Girls get married in a few years.
This answer is from the last sentence.
When answering some factual questions you do not just copy the answer word for word
from the passage. You can change the words around but not the facts.
ACTIVITY
Read the following paragraph and then answer the questions.
Gregory desperately wanted to become a doctor. This was because he wanted to be
famous and rich. Besides being famous and rich, he also wanted to treat his family
when sick.
Give the reasons why Gregory wants to be a doctor.

.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
How many facts did you come up with?.................................................................................
ANSWER
He wanted to be famous, rich and to treat his family when sick.

Did you notice that there are three reasons given? These are facts given in the short
paragraph. You have to give all the reasons for his wanting to become a doctor, and you
draw all your answers from the passage. Giving one or two would have been incomplete.
You can also give facts through answering true or false or multiple choice questions.
ACTIVITY
Are the following statements true or false about Gregory? Circle the correct answer.
1. Gregory seriously wanted to become a doctor. True/False
2. He did not want to be well known but wanted to be rich. True/False.
3. He wanted to treat his wife when sick. True/False.
4. He wanted to treat all members of his family when sick. True/False.
5. He wanted to be rich and famous. True/False.
ANSWERS
1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. True

EXERCISE 1
Read the following passage and then answer the questions.
WHAT ALCOHOL DOES IN YOUR BODY

When a person drinks alcohol, it passes into the stomach. There, some of it is absorbed
into the bloodstream. The rest is absorbed in the small intestines. Once it is in the
bloodstream, alcohol circulates to all parts of the body. The liver begins to break down
the alcohol into other substances. The liver can process about 10 ml of alcohol an
hour. If more than that amount is taken in, the alcohol builds up in the blood, and the
person becomes drunk.
Alcohol acts on the brain and nervous system. The effects depend mainly on how
much alcohol is in the blood. If the amount is small, the person feels happy, warm, and
relaxed. As the concentration of alcohol in the blood builds up, the person becomes
less co-ordinated. The hands may shake and memory and alertness are decreased.
Thus, drinkers sometimes do things that would be embarrassing to them if they were
sober. Some people argue or fight, others just act silly. If more alcohol is drunk, the
drinker’s ability to walk and talk properly will be affected. At this point, continued
drinking could cause unconsciousness or even death.
As the effects wear off, the drinker feels “hung over.” Some symptoms of a hangover
are an upset stomach, unusual thirst, and a headache. (Motha, Lukhele, Phiri and
Simelane 1997)
1. Where is alcohol absorbed in a human body?

........................................................................................................................................
2. How much alcohol can a liver process in an hour?
........................................................................................................................................
3. Mention three things that happen to a person as the concentration of alcohol in the
body builds up ................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

4. Say whether the following statements are true or false.
a. People always argue and fight when drunk. True/False.
b. You cannot walk and talk properly when you have drunk a lot of alcohol.
True/False.
c. A drinker feels a hangover when tired. True/False.
d. An upset stomach is one of the symptoms of a hangover. True/False.
This brings you to the end of this lesson on answering factual questions. We hope you have
noted that it is important to use facts drawn from the passage when answering this type of
question.

2
LESSON
_____________
Facts and opinions
In this lesson you will look at the difference between facts and opinions. Do you believe
everything you read? Of course you don’t. When you read you should try to decide if what
you have read are facts or opinions.
OBJECTIVE
show the difference between facts and opinions.
The difference between facts and opinions is not always easy to tell.
Do you still remember what we said a fact was?
.................................................................................................................................................
A fact is something that is true or is believed by most people to be true. Facts can be proven
to be true.
What does the word “opinion” mean?

.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
An opinion is what someone thinks is true. It may be based on what one thinks but it cannot
be proved to be true.
Look at the following statements

(a) AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(b) AIDS is the most important health issue today.
Statement (a) is a fact, because it can be proven, for example by looking it up in a medical
dictionary.
Statement (b) is an opinion because you cannot prove that it is correct. It may be based on
facts, such as how many people are dying of AIDS or how much money is spent on AIDS
sufferers, but it is not a fact in itself. It cannot be proved because what is important differs
from person to person. Another important difference between facts and opinions is that you
can disagree with an opinion but not with a fact. You cannot disagree with statement (a) and

say AIDS stands for awful illness derived from sex because you would be incorrect. But
you could disagree with (b) and say TB is the most important health issue today.
Here is another example:

Mr. Smith thinks that the earth is flat.
That is an opinion; the fact is the earth is not flat.
One way of finding out if a statement is a fact or opinion is to notice these words. “I think,”
“I believe,” “it seems,” “possibly.” All these words show an opinion. This opinion may be
right or wrong.
ACTIVITY
Indicate whether the following statements are facts or opinions.
1. I consider that book to be poorly written.
2. Oceans are very large bodies of water.
3. I believe he is a genius.
4. I do not think he can be trusted.
5. Rain helps plants to grow.
ANSWERS
1. Is an opinion – someone can pick up the book and find that it is not poorly written.
2. It is a fact – It is always true.
3. An opinion – It has the word “believe.”
4. An opinion – It has the word “think.”
5. Fact – It has been proved.
The other way a writer can express his opinion is by using judgemental language. For
instance, someone can say “Mbabane is a beautiful city.” The person has formed an
opinion. He has judged the city. He may say this after he has been to the place and seen it.
He may support this statement, but it is not a fact. It is an opinion.

ACTIVITY
Read the following paragraph and note the facts and opinions in the table below.
PARIS
Paris, on the River Seine, is the capital of France. It is a beautiful city. It is an exciting
place to live in. There are many libraries, museums, theatres, cinemas and night clubs
that you can go to. And there are a few places in which you can meet many interesting
people.
FACTS OPINIONS
ANSWERS
FACTS OPINIONS
1. Paris on River Seine 3. It is a beautiful city.
2. Capital of France 4. It is an exciting place.
5. There are a few places in which you can meet
many interesting people.
1. Paris is on the River Seine is a fact because no one can disagree with it.
2. Paris is the capital of France. It can be proved, so it is a fact.
3. It is a beautiful city is an opinion. It is based on what one thinks.
4. It is an opinion. One person can say it is an exciting place and give reasons but
someone else may feel it is a boring place and you cannot prove that this is incorrect.
5. This is an opinion because someone can disagree with it.

EXERCISE 2
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
CERTIFICATES
Certificates and qualifications usually indicate that people have undergone training so
that they are able to do certain jobs – and they have some sort of document to prove
this.
Usually certificates are indications of fairly general training or ability. For example, a
secondary teaching certificate enables people to teach in any secondary school – not
just one particular school. An electrician’s ticket indicates a general ability in the field
of electrical work. But equally, an electrician’s ticket doesn’t qualify such a person to
do plumbing. Certificates usually indicate general competence in a specific area.
Certificates are usually issued by special institutions, like schools and universities.
This gives the certificates authority. You could easily sit at home and draw up a
certificate for your friend, but it would probably have no meaning at all for her or his
employer. The more status the institution has the more status its certificates have.
Some people say that certificates are valuable and necessary, while others say that
certificates aren’t really helpful.
Supporters of certificates say that in modern society, many of the jobs which people
do are very complicated and difficult. Training is essential for these jobs, and having
certificates is one way of making sure that people have the right training.
Opponents of certificates, on the other hand, argue that not all work needs such high
training. Does a clerk actually use her knowledge of matric history – even though she
needs to have matric to get her job? Also, people can learn a lot on the job. Sometimes
this on-the-job learning may be even more important than what they learn at special
institutions like schools.
Supporters of certificates say that people with qualifications have sacrificed years of
their lives to study. Often their study has cost them money. These people are usually
intelligent and they have worked hard. Therefore they deserve rewards. They deserve
jobs with high status and high salaries.
Opponents of certificates argue that we shouldn’t see education as a sacrifice; rather, it

is a privilege. People who are able to study are fortunate. Even when they have to pay
fees to study their training costs more than they actually pay. The society pays part of
the costs, through taxes. How can we say that these people deserve even more reward?
(Motha, Lukhele, Phiri and Simelane 1995)

Which of these statements are facts and which are opinions?
1. Certificates aren’t really helpful.
........................................................................................................................................
2. A secondary teaching certificate enables people to teach in any secondary school.
........................................................................................................................................
3. Many of the jobs which people do are very complicated and difficult.
........................................................................................................................................
4. People with qualifications deserve rewards.
........................................................................................................................................
5. Education is a sacrifice.
........................................................................................................................................
This brings us to the end of the lesson on facts and opinions. When you read you will be
able to see whether a statement is a fact or an opinion.

3
LESSON
_____________
Implied meaning questions
In the last lesson you looked at the difference between facts and opinions. In this lesson you
will look at how to answer questions testing implied meaning.
OBJECTIVE
answer questions testing implied meaning.
When answering factual questions you find the answers direct from the passage. To answer
implied meaning questions you must work out the answers for yourself using the
information that you are given in the passage.
Look at this example:

The old man sat tiredly and asked for a glass of water.
Here, we are given two facts:
1. He sat down wearily/tiredly.
2. He asked for a glass of water.
You are not told why the old man asked for a glass of water. He could have had a number of
reasons for doing so, but the most likely reason is that he was thirsty.
So if you get a question like: “How do we know that the old man was thirsty?” how should
you answer this?
Answer
You know he was thirsty because he asked for a glass of water.
To answer this type of question you should work out the answer from the information that
you are given in the passage.
Now read this information about Mr. Moyo and then answer the questions that follow.
Mr. Moyo, who is sixty-nine, is very unhappy. He has been dismissed from his job
and has little chance of finding another.

Question
Why do you think Mr. Moyo will find it difficult to get another job?
Before you answer this question think of some reasons why a man might find it difficult to
get a job.
He may be lazy, dishonest, or in bad health or he might be just too old.
Only one of these answers is correct.
1. Which one is it?
........................................................................................................................................
It is his age.
2. What is said about his age?
........................................................................................................................................
He is sixty-nine.
The only possible reason given why he cannot get a job is his age. That is what you should
base your answer on.
The answer is Mr. Moyo is too old to get another job.
ACTIVITY
Read this information about two armed robbers named John and Peter.
John: I think we should not continue with tonight’s job, Peter. The police are
following us.
Peter: Not continue! You see this gun? Let us do the job tonight, John, or else.
What is likely to happen to John if he does not go on with the job?

Answer: Peter will probably shoot him.
1. Mention two facts that help you to arrive at the answer.

a. ...............................................................................................................................
b. ...............................................................................................................................

2. Why would it be incorrect to say, “Peter will probably kill him”?
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. a. Peter showed him his gun.
b. He also used the words “or else.” We can take this to mean he will use the gun
on John if John does not go on with the job.
2. Peter will use his gun to shoot. We do not know if Peter will kill. To shoot does not
necessarily mean to kill.
EXERCISE 3
Read the following passage carefully. Then answer the questions that follow.
The morning my friend left me, he was accompanied by a large party of islanders.
Some of the islanders carried an assortment of fruit, as the report had spread that a
ship had stopped at the bay.
As they proceeded through the settled parts of the valley, men and women joined them
from every side, shouting joyfully as they ran from every pathway. The valley rang
with their shouts as they hurried along, those in advance every now and then waving
their weapons to urge the rest forward.
1. What did the islanders intend to do with the fruit they carried?
………………………………………………………………..
2. Why do you think the islanders were excited?
………………………………………………………………..
3. Why did some of the islanders wave their weapons in the air?
………………………………………………………………..
4. Did the writer go down to the ship in the bay?

……………………………………………………………….

When answering questions with implied meaning, you must always remember to choose
your words carefully. If you are asked to give an opinion, base it on information given in
the passage.

4
LESSON
_____________
True or false questions
In the last lesson you looked at how to answer questions with implied meaning. In this
lesson you will look at how to answer true or false questions. When answering these
questions you will select the statement that is true and this will help make you aware of the
mistakes which you can easily make when reading. This will train you to read more
carefully.
OBJECTIVE
By the end of this lesson you should be able to answer:
true/false questions.
Information to answer these questions can either be factual, that is answers can be directly
from the passage, or they can be implied, that is you work out the answer by using
information given in the passage.
ACTIVITY
Read this passage and say whether the statements are true or false.
The three climbers stood on the snow-covered peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. They were
exhausted but overjoyed; they had reached the top of the mountain.
1. The climbers were tired. True/False ........................
2. They were very happy. True/False ........................
3. They were too tired to climb any higher. True/False ........................
4. The climbers reached the top of the mountain. True/False ........................
5. We know that they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
which is the highest mountain in Africa. True/False ........................

ANSWERS
1. True – We are told that the climbers were “exhausted” which means the same as tired.
2. True – The climbers were overjoyed which is the same as “very happy.”
3. False – The passage does not say that they were so exhausted that they could not climb
any higher. Besides, they could not have climbed any higher because they were
already at the top.
4. True – It is stated in the passage.
5. False – We do not know. We are not given this information in the passage.
ACTIVITY
Read the passage and then answer the questions.
CIGARETTES
Although American Indians have been smoking tobacco for over a thousand years, it
was not widely used in Europe until about 1600 A.D. Since that time, tobacco
smoking has become quite popular, and has spread quite rapidly. In this century, the
use of tobacco has become extremely common.
However, doctors have begun to notice that as cigarette smoking has increased, so has
the number of deaths from diseases of the chest. Many doctors now believe that
smoking damages the lungs, and can cause death. Modern research has confirmed this,
and has shown that smoking is definitely dangerous to health.
Despite this, many people continue to smoke. Smoking is habit forming. Once a
person begins to smoke, it is very difficult for him to stop. But he must try to stop,
because smoking is very dangerous. Besides being dangerous, it is very expensive,
and many people spend more money on smoking than they can afford.
The best advice on smoking is, therefore, don’t start! (Grant, Olagoke and Southern)

Answer the following questions by writing True or False in the space provided.
1. Tobacco was widely used in Europe until about 1600 A.D. ..........................................
2. The use of tobacco spread slowly when it was brought to Europe. ...............................
3. Modern discoveries have stopped people from smoking. .............................................
4. In this century, smoking has become extremely common. ............................................
5. Some people spend more money on smoking than they can afford. .............................
6. Once a person begins to smoke, it is not difficult to stop. .............................................
7. Smoking damages lungs, and can cause death. .............................................................
ANSWERS
1. Tobacco was widely used in Europe until about 1600 A.D. F
2. The use of tobacco spread slowly when it was brought to Europe. F
3. Modern discoveries have stopped people from smoking. F
4. In this century, smoking has become extremely common. T
5. Some people spend more money on smoking than they can afford. T
6. Once a person begins to smoke, it is not difficult to stop. F
7. Smoking damages lungs, and can cause death. T
The most useful method to answer these types of questions is to first get rid of the false
statements. It then becomes easier to choose the true statements.

EXERCISE 4
Read the following passage and then answer the questions.
KOFI IN TROUBLE
On the first morning of the new year I swear I went proudly into the junior school. My
classmates were all gathered in the classroom but there was no teacher there. The class
teacher, my father, was busy with his duties as a headmaster, and we were directed to
wait quietly for him in our classroom. But during the holidays the school had been
repainted, and the paint was still slightly wet. Every school was the same, a smart
building with the walls white-washed at the top and painted with coal-tar at the
bottom. It was the coal-tar that was still wet!
We began to play about. Our teacher did not come and we became more and more
unruly. One of the boys pressed his hands on the wet coal-tar and then took hold of my
clean white shirt. He left a great black stain. I was so angry that I too pressed my hand
on the paint and then slapped the boy full in the face. The uproar from the classroom
brought my father quickly upon the scene. There was immediate silence.
“What is the matter here?” he asked. The other boy at once showed his painted face
and told my father the story. But he said it was an accident that he had put the paint on
my shirt. On hearing him say this I stepped forward and began to give my version of
the story. No sooner had I begun to speak, however, than my father struck me so
roughly that I fell to the ground and for a minute was stunned. As I sat the rest of the
morning in my desk, shaken and silent, I reflected that if this was the way my father
welcomed me into his class I could expect a hard year.
At lunchtime I hurried home and reported the whole incident to my mother. I begged
her to send me away to attend Standard 1 in some other school. I told her I could not
face a year with my father as my teacher.
When my father came in, my mother immediately brought up the subject. She said that
he had treated me most unfairly and that, even if I deserved punishment, he should
have remembered my recent sickness and been more lenient with me.
But my father, as usual, had his reasons. Looking back now I realize that although the
punishments my father dealt out to me were always severe, sometimes brutal, they
were rarely unjust or unreasonable.
Now he explained to my mother, “Look, Edzi, you know the rules in this town. If
anyone strikes his neighbour in the face, he must be summoned before the chief. The
fine is often heavy: $5, a ram, bottles of gin. If I had taken no notice of this affair and
the boy had appealed to his parents, they would have taken the matter up. We are
strangers in this town and in my position, I want to avoid any quarrel with our
neighbours. Now, if the child’s parents come to see me, I can tell them that I have
already dealt severely with Kofi, and they will be satisfied.”

My mother was also satisfied and the matter was left there. But I decided to be very
careful and never to report anything to my father, even when I was right. If I was in
any difficulty, I went to one of the other two teachers in the junior department, both of
whom dealt with me gently.
The work in that class went on well. My father’s teaching methods certainly made his
children’s studies progress. But I was not happy. My father stopped punishing me in
the house, and instead reported any bad thing I did to my classmates and punished me
before them all. I suppose in this way he killed three birds with one stone. He avoided
distressing my mother so much, he provided an awful warning for the other children,
and he increased my shame and humiliation. (Armstrong and Taylor)
Answer the following questions by writing True or False in the spaces provided.
1. There were altogether three teachers in the junior department of the school.
2. When people were summoned before the chief, they were punished heavily.
3. This was Kofi’s first year at junior school. ....................................................................

4. Kofi’s mother was quite happy when his father punished him at school and not at
home.
5. Kofi’s mother did not accept her husband’s reasons for punishing Kofi.
6. Kofi’s father punished him without listening to his side of the story.
7. Kofi reported things to his father only when he was right. ............................................
8. Kofi’s family had not always lived in this town. ............................................................
9. The teacher came quickly to the classroom because the class was making a lot of noise.
10. Kofi was not happy in his father’s class because he did not like his father’s teaching
method.

This brings us to the end of the lesson on how to answer true or false questions. When
answering these questions you need to carefully look at the answer and decide whether it is
true or false.

5
LESSON
_____________
Multiple choice questions
In the last lesson you looked at how to answer true or false questions. In this lesson you will
look at how to answer multiple choice questions. In these questions, as their name suggests,
you are given a selection of answers from which to choose the correct answer. These are
often used to test your knowledge and understanding of the passage.
OBJECTIVE
select the best answer from a number of possible answers.
In this type of question you should select the correct answer from four or five possible
answers. You have to compare these answers with what you have read, and with one
another and then choose the correct one. Each answer will have a letter in front of it. You
may be asked to write down the number of the question and the letter of the answer you
have chosen, for example 2 (b).
ACTIVITY
Read this paragraph and then answer the question that follows.
We children believed the elephant was king of all animals. If ever we met one on the
road we would look at him with great respect from a safe distance for he might charge
and turn over our car with as little effort as we used to turn a page of a book.
1. From this passage we learn that the elephant:

a. is commonly regarded as king of all animals
b. is a powerful animal
c. will always charge a car and turn it over
d. is extremely strong and can turn a car easily

ANSWERS
You should look at each possible answer and then choose the best. Do away with all the
answers that are not true. Keep the true one as a possible answer. You should always
remember that there might be another correct and better answer.
a. False – “commonly regarded” means most people. The passage says it is a children’s
belief.
b. True – King of all animals means it is a powerful animal.
c. False – The passage does not say “will always” but it says he might charge and turn
over a car.
d. True – elephant is tremendously strong, we have another possible answer
How do you finally come to the correct answer. There are usually two possible.
Look closely at b. and d., and choose the best answer. Statement d. tells us what we are told
in b. It also gives us more information. So, d. is the best answer.
ACTIVITY
Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.
Vusi Mdluli is a farmer in Swaziland. Several years ago Mdluli wanted to grow more
crops on his farm. He wanted to be able to sell more produce from his farm and make
more money. To do this, he had to plough more. Therefore he became interested in
tractors. He wanted to buy one if possible. But when he looked at the price of tractors,
he was disappointed. They were very expensive. The cheapest one he saw cost $6,000.
These tractors were made to use on large farms. Mr. Mdluli only had a small farm. He
also knew that these tractors would often need expensive repairs. He knew that it
would cost a lot of money to look after the tractors.
He almost gave up the idea of a tractor. He continued to plough with oxen. Then, he
heard about Tinkabi tractors. “Tinkabi” is a name derived from the SiSwati word for
oxen. Mr. Mdluli decided that this was the tractor he wanted. It was strong and
comparatively cheap.
The Tinkabi was originally produced in 1968 by the Universities of Lesotho,
Botswana and Swaziland. Now the production of the tractor is the responsibility of the
National Industrial Development Corporation of Swaziland. The tractor has been
especially designed to farm areas of less than twenty hectares.
Mdluli liked the price of the Tinkabi tractor. It cost less than $2,000. This price
included a set of implements, such as a plough, a planter, a cultivator and other useful

items. Unlike the other more expensive tractors, the Tinkabi carried a load on the
front of 500 kilograms. If he wished to carry more than 500 kilograms, he could buy a
trailer. This trailer could carry a load of 2,000 kilograms. The tractor could pull the
trailer behind it.
Mr. Mdluli was worried about driving the tractor. But he found this quite easy. He
simply used a lever. When he wanted the tractor to go forward he pushed the lever
forward. When he wanted to stop he put the lever in the central position and the tractor
braked. He was told the fastest speed the tractor would go was eight kilometres per
hour.
It would take about eight hours to plough a hectare field. It used to take two days to
plough it using oxen. Mr. Mdluli thought that the running costs of the Tinkabi were
very reasonable. It would cost about ten cents an hour to use the tractor for ploughing.
This was very heavy work, especially when the ground was dry and hard. It would
cost less to use the tractor to plant his crops.
Mr. Mdluli decided that he wanted to buy a Tinkabi tractor. However, he did not have
all the money he needed. He went to see the manager of the Swazi Bank. He told the
manager how he could produce more crops using a Tinkabi tractor, and how his farm
was going to profit. He asked the bank for a loan. The manager asked what security he
had for a loan. Mr. Mdluli told him about his herd of cattle. The manager said that was
good security, and granted him the loan. Mr. Mdluli was to repay the loan over three
years.
This year Vusi Mdluli is a successful farmer in Swaziland. The Tinkabi has helped
him to make more money. In 1975 there were over 100 Tinkabi tractors being used in
Swaziland.
In 1972 the Swaziland Government estimated that there were 54,000 farmers in
Southern Africa who could benefit from using the Tinkabi tractor. Other countries in
the world have shown interest in these tractors. In future it is hoped that many farmers
like Vusi Mdluli, in many other countries in the world, will benefit from the Tinkabi
tractor.
1. When Mdluli looked at tractors he was disappointed because

a. they cost $6,000
b. he saw that they needed expensive repairs
c. they were designed for larger farms than his
d. he had no money ................................
2. The Tinkabi tractor appealed to him because
a. it was made in Swaziland
b. it was designed for small farms
c. the National Industrial Development of Swaziland lent him money to buy it
d. it was very small ................................

3. The Tinkabi tractor can carry
a. 500 kilograms
b. 2,000 kilograms
c. 500 kilograms plus a set of implements
d. 2,500 kilograms ................................
4. To stop the vehicle, the driver of a Tinkabi tractor
a. pushes the lever backward
b. puts the lever in a central position
c. pulls the lever
d. applies the brakes ................................

5. Which of the following statements is false?
The Tinkabi tractor:
a. is cheaper than a large tractor.
b. costs less to use than oxen
c. ploughs faster than oxen
d. needs servicing less often than other tractors ................................
6. The bank manager gave him a loan against the security of
a. the tractor
b. the extra profit he could make
c. the additional crops he could grow
d. his cattle ................................
7. The farmers throughout the world who could benefit from Tinkabi
tractor are like Mdluli in that they
a. are ambitious
b. have little money
c. use oxen for ploughing
d. wish to improve small farms ................................

ANSWERS
1. c. is the correct answer.
a. is not correct because not all tractors cost $6,000, only the cheapest.
b. is not correct because they did not need expensive repairs when he saw them, but he
knew that they would later.
d. is not correct because he did not have enough money to buy a tractor, but this does
not mean that he had no money.
2. b. is the correct answer.
a. is true, but we are not told that this made the tractor more attractive to Mr. Mdluli.
c. no, they only make the tractors; he went to Swazi Bank for a loan.
d. the size of the tractor is not mentioned.
3. a. is the correct answer.
b. no, the trailer could carry 2,000 kilograms.
c. the passage does not say that the tractor could carry the implements.
d. this could be carried by the tractor and the trailer together.
a. there is no mention of pushing the lever backward.
c. we are told how he pulled the lever.
d. brakes are not mentioned as he could stop the tractor by putting the lever in a
central position.
a. there is no mention of Tinkabi tractor being cheaper than a larger tractor.
c. is true. It would take about eight hours to plough his field. It used to take two days
to plough it using oxen.
d. is true. It only needs servicing every six months.
6. d. is the correct answer.
a. He did not own any tractor.
b. and c. are not correct because these could not be used. These are the things he
hoped for, not something he has now.
7. d. is the correct answer. This is more detailed and accurate than a and b.
c. not necessarily. Perhaps they use horses.
When answering multiple choice questions you should read all the possible answers. Do
away with those that are false. Then if there is more than one correct answer, compare them
and decide which is the best answer.

EXERCISE 5
Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.
THE SPEAR GAME

(Medza arrives at the village of Kala for the first time.)
I reached Kala about three o’clock in the afternoon. My entry was anything but
triumphal – the journey through that hot, dark forest had considerably dampened my
enthusiasm – and passed, in fact, almost unnoticed.
Just outside the village a remarkable spectacle presented itself to my astonished gaze.
There was a sports ground here, a very good one for a mere wattle-and-mud village,
and dotted round it were one or two biggish huts, their verandas crowded with
spectators anxious to get out of the sun. On the sports ground were about twenty big
toughs, bare-legged and bare-chested, engaged in a very dangerous game. I jumped off
my bicycle and wheeled it as close as I could without anyone, performer or spectator,
even noticing my presence.
It was baking hot.
Each team consisted of ten or twelve young men lined up in single file, Indian fashion.
Thus before the game began only the two leaders of each side were actually facing
each other, at two or three yards’ distance: their supporters backed them from behind.
Each man carried a long, heavy assegai, its point carefully sharpened. They
brandished these weapons in a most dangerous fashion. Right at the end of each file,
as far as possible from the captain, that is, stood the strongest man in the team. This
man would pick up a ball about the size of a football, made of some hard, heavy, yet
porous wood, spin round two or three times like a weight putter, and throw the ball as
hard as he could along the rough ground; and as it went the long pointed assegais
whizzed out at it so hard and quickly that it was a miracle that no one was hit each
time. Often the ball was stopped in mid-flight, pierced clean through by a particularly
accurate shot. Then the team’s supporters would cheer like mad, and all the lucky
marksman’s companions smothered him with kisses. Then the referee, squatting in
one corner of the field, would score five long lines on the ground to the credit of the
lucky team. At the end of a match these lines were added up. When they changed
service, so to speak, all the players turned in the same direction – facing the strong
fellow who was going to throw the ball into play, five throws at a time.

I was astonished by the whole thing, though in the end I remembered that when we
were about six or so we used to play a similar sort of game at home. But in our case it
was a childish pastime, a mere survival from former times. From the cheers and
shouts of encouragement, I gathered that the village of Kala was challenging another
village for top place in the league, and that the match I was watching would decide the
issue. (Grant 1970)
1. Medza implies that his arrival in Kala passed almost unnoticed because
a. the inhabitants were on the verandas, keeping out of the sun
b. the inhabitants were busy playing a game
c. he was hidden from the view of the spectators
d. everyone was too interested in the game to notice him ................................
2. The sports ground was
a. a very good one
b. as good as could be expected in that kind of village
c. surprisingly good, considering how poor the village was
d. not very good, because the village was poor ................................
3. At the beginning of the game two leaders
a. faced each other, their teams standing side by side behind them
b. faced in the same direction, their teams standing behind them in single file
c. faced each other, their teams standing behind them in a single file
d. stood two or three yards in front of their teams,
facing each other ................................
4. As soon as the game began, both teams
a. faced in the same direction
b. faced the ball-thrower whose turn it was
c. faced the ball-throwers
d. faced the opponents’ ball-thrower ................................

5. It was a miracle that no one was hit each time because
a. the assegais were thrown so hard and quickly
b. the two teams stood only two or three yards apart from each other
c. the ball travelled so fast
d. the assegais were so sharp ................................
6. We can infer from this passage that the writer (Medza) thought the game was
a. astonishing and exciting
b. boring
c. exciting
d. astonishing and rather childish ................................
When answering multiple choice questions you should read all possible answers. Do away
with those that are false. Then if there is more than one correct answer, compare them and
decide which is the best answer.

6
LESSON
_____________
Meanings of words
In the last lesson you looked at how to answer multiple choice questions. In this lesson you
will look at how you find meanings of words as used in the passage. Reading a lot is the
best way to increase your vocabulary. The more words you know, the easier you will find it
to comprehend passages.
OBJECTIVE
give meanings of words as they are used in a passage.
Words do not always have the same meaning. A single word can have two or even more
meanings. Take for example:
Mine: 1. It means belonging to me
2. It is where minerals are dug.
Do you see that we have two different meanings for the same word? The meaning of the
word depends on how it is used in a sentence or passage. The way a word is used is what we
call context.
Now look at the different ways/context in which the word “mine” can be used
• The pen is mine.
• My friend went to work in the mine.
ACTIVITY
Look at this example using the word “note.”
1. The manager sent a note to her secretary.
What does the word note mean in this sentence?

Answer: It means a short letter.

2. He was unable to sing the highest note in the song.
What does the word “note” mean in this sentence?
Answer: It means a musical sound.
The word note in sentence 1. cannot mean a musical sound because the sentence is not
about singing. In sentence 2. it means a musical sound because the sentence is about
singing.
ACTIVITY
For each of the following sentences pick out the word or phrase in brackets which has the
meaning closest to that of the word underlined.
1. He could not open the gate because of the bar.
(bank of sand, metal rod, counter where drinks are served, narrow band of colour)
2. I asked him for an appointment but he refused to see me.
(look at, imagine, learn from, meet)
3. I wanted to speak to him in Nairobi, but the operator could not give me a line.
(railway track, long narrow mark, course of action, telephone connection)
4. The salad was covered with an oily dressing.
(sauce, act of putting on clothes, bandage, fertilizing material)
ANSWERS
1. bar - metal rod
2. see - meet
3. line - telephone connection
4. dressing – sauce

1. For number 1, the others cannot be accepted as correct answers because a word gets its
meaning from the words that surround it. For instance a bar here cannot be a counter
where drinks are served because we are talking about a gate that could not open.
2. In sentence number 2, “see” cannot mean “look at” in this sentence. When you make
an appointment with someone you want to meet him, not look at him.
3. “Line” in this sentence means a telephone connection because you want to speak to
someone and there is the word operator.
4. “Sauce” is the correct answer because the sentence is about “salad.” This is about
food and has nothing to do with clothes, bandages, etc.
ACTIVITY
Read the passage below and then answer the questions which follow.
THE BLUE CAR AGAIN
When Sergeant Mashayi arrived, he was very angry. “It’s a familiar story,” he said, as
he wrote down all the details. “It’s the fourth crime like this in the last three weeks. A
mysterious telephone call says someone is hurt or injured. Everyone leaves the house.
No one is left to look after it and then the thief appears. And this man leaves us with
no clues. He simply disappears into thin air.”
He looked at Lindi and Sipho. “But with you, it was different. He spent a long time
talking to you. Do you think you could identify him if you saw him?” “Perhaps,” said
Sipho slowly.
“I’m not sure,” said Lindi. “But I am sure I could recognise the car. It was so big, and
was blue.” “That’s not much help, I’m afraid,” said the Sergeant. “There are lots of
blue cars in the district.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “There is one thing we
can do. At the police station there are some pictures of wanted criminals. If you come
with me and look at them, perhaps you will recognise the thief. Is that all right, Mr.
Dube?” “Yes, yes. Anything,” said Mr. Dube “Anything, if it will help to catch this
thief.”
Half an hour later, Sergeant Mashayi pulled up outside the police station. As Lindi got
out, she looked across the street and a familiar shape caught her eye. It was a car and
underneath the thin layer of dust, the car was blue. “Sipho! Look! Over there!” she
pointed towards the blue car. “Doesn’t that car look familiar?” “Yes. It does,” replied
her brother. There was excitement in his voice. “Look, Sergeant. That car outside the
café. It’s blue, like the thief’s car.” “Let us investigate,” said the Sergeant and he led
the way across the road. “There…Sipho, look, on the back widow. That’s your
handwriting. That’s your message.” And there, on the back window, in the thin layer
of dust, were the words “Sipho and Lindi are at the store.” “And there he is,” cried
Lindi. “I recognise him now. He’s sitting at that table over there.”

“There’s the thief, Sergeant.” And that was the end of the thief and the mysterious
telephone calls. “It proves the value of dust,” said Mr. Dube the following day, when
all their belongings were back at home. “Nothing is totally useless. Not even dust. It
was the message in the dust that finally caught the criminal.” (Dawson 1986)
Choose a word or phrase from the story which means the same as the words or phrases that
have been underlined
1. It is a story which is well known to me. line 1
2. He wanted to know all the information they knew about the theft. line 2
3. Sergeant Mashiyi said they should find out more about the blue car. line 2
4. Lindi was sure she could identify the blue car, line 9
1. It is a story which is........................................................................................................

2. He wanted to know all the.................................................... they knew about the theft.
3. Sergeant Mashayi said they should ............................................................ the blue car.
4. Lindi was sure she could ............................................................................ the blue car.
ANSWERS
1. familiar
2. details
3. investigate
4. recognise
Always remember that not all words have a definite meaning in isolation. Some get their
meanings from the words which surround them.

EXERCISE 6
Read the following passage and then choose a word from the right-hand column below that
has a meaning closest to the words that have been underlined and draw a line to it. The first
one has been done for you.
e.g. endearing lovable
modified distant
solitary adapted
residue waste
remote single
Penguins are among Nature’s most endearing creatures and, for a bird that is not able to fly,
the penguin has had a very successful life. It has become well adapted to life at sea, coming
ashore only to breed. Penguins are peaceful creatures. The first men to see penguins found it
difficult to classify them. Were they animals or birds? In fact, the penguin is a swimming
and diving bird, which lost the power of flight early in its evolution. On land, the penguin
sits upright on large webbed feet and waddles across the ice, but it swims excellently, its
rigid wings being modified for swimming.
Well known among the smaller species of penguin is the black-footed penguin. The larger
species are the king penguin and the emperor penguin. The emperor penguin rears its
solitary chick in the bitterly cold Antarctic winter. The egg, and later the chick, is supported
on the adult penguin’s webbed feet and protected from the cold by its thick feathers. The
penguin population is so large that there is no immediate danger of the bird not being found
anywhere. On the other hand, the poisonous chemical residue of the civilised world’s
industries reaches even the remote Antarctic Ocean and pollutes the wildlife. It pollutes the
whales, the seals, as well as the penguins.
Penguins always seem happy. Indeed it is difficult to be serious about them. The way they
stand and behave is very much like that of a human being. (Cox, Grant and O’Neill 1976)
By now you must have seen that words do not always have one meaning. The meaning will
depend on how the word is used in a given situation.

7
LESSON
_____________
Identifying points in chronological order
In the last lesson you looked at meanings of words. In this lesson you are going to look at
how you can identify events in chronological order.
OBJECTIVE
list a series of events in chronological order.
Chronological order means putting information in the order in which it happened. When
you read, you have to note important points and how these connect with one another, step
by step in the order in which they happened. This means that you have to understand what
you read and how the information has been arranged. So, organising information correctly
is important.
ACTIVITY
Read the following paragraph about what Nina does on school days.
She comes back home at four o’clock in the afternoon. School starts at eight o’clock
every morning. She catches the bus at half-past seven. She eats her breakfast at seven.
The first thing she does is to take a bath and brush her teeth. She wakes up at six
o’clock in the morning.
Do you notice anything about the way this information has been given? ...............................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
What Nina does has not been written in the order in which it happens. You have to start
from the time Nina wakes up and mention what she does up to the time she comes back
home. This can be written this way:

She wakes up at six o’clock in the morning. The first thing she does is to take a bath and
brush her teeth. She eats her breakfast at seven o’clock and catches a bus at half-past seven.
School starts at eight o’clock every morning. She comes back home at four o’clock in the
afternoon.
Do you see that the above information is clearer than in the first paragraph? This is because
the information in the second paragraph has been put in chronological order.
ACTIVITY
Read the following paragraph
The small single-engined plane was flying over thick tropical forest. Suddenly, a
strong wind blew against the plane. The plane swung wildly. There was no radio on
board so there was no way of sending for help. A moment later, the engine started
making strange noises; as the plane went down, the forest came into view.
Desperately, the pilot tried to regain height but failed. The trees were almost
scratching the plane when the engine finally stopped. There was no time to jump. The
plane fell crashing through the trees.
Look at the following points on what happened before the plane crashed.
• the engine finally stopped
• the engine started making strange noises
• a strong wind blew against the plane
• the plane swung wildly
• the pilot failed to gain height
Is there anything you notice about the above points? These points have not been written in
the order in which they happened. They are jumbled. You have to write these in the order in
which they happened. Step by step, according to the order of events, the stopping of the
engine happened last. Chronologically, this is what happened:
• a strong wind blew against the plane
• the plane swung wildly
• the engine started making strange noises
• the pilot failed to gain height
• the engine finally stopped

So, to understand clearly what happened before the plane crashed, you have to list the facts
beginning with what happened first up to the last point before the crash.
EXERCISE 7
Read the following paragraph about Essop Patel and then answer the question that follows:
ESSOP PATEL
Essop Patel was born in Germiston in 1943. He was educated in Germiston and later
in Ladysmith. He then left for Europe where he stayed for seven years. After doing a
variety of jobs he studied for a law degree. After returning to South Africa, Patel got a
job with a law firm in Johannesburg, which he left after a short period. He started a
business but this proved unsuccessful. After that he studied for another degree at the
University of Witwatersrand. Essop Patel is a lawyer in South Africa and Botswana.
His main areas are human rights and public interest. He also writes and edits poetry
books. (Motha, Lukhele, Phiri and Simelane 1996)
Several stages have been outlined in the life of Essop Patel. List at least five of them in
chronological order.
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
This brings us to the end of this lesson. We hope you will find it easy to follow the order in
which events happen as you read.

8
LESSON
_____________
Making notes to summarise
In the last lesson you looked at how you can identify the order in which a series of events
happened.
In this lesson you are going to look at how to make notes on what you read. You will find
that making notes is a useful skill, as you study different subjects. In Unit 1 of this module,
you learnt that skimming helps you get the main idea of a text. When taking notes, you use
this skill to select important information from what you read.
OBJECTIVE
make notes to summarise a passage.

As a student you have to make notes on what you hear or read. You cannot rely only on
memory. Notes will help you remember what you have read.
Notes are not written in complete sentences. They are a very simple and short way of
writing important points from information which you read. When you make notes from a
passage, use your own words which you will easily understand. These main points will give
you a picture of what the passage is about and make it easy for you when you are asked to
summarise it.
When making notes, keep in mind the following:
• write in point form, not full sentences
• keep as short and simple as possible
• include only important points, leaving out unnecessary words and less
important information
• list points in an orderly way
• use abbreviations which you can easily understand, for example
yrs for years no. for number
km for kilometres pp for pages
e.g. for example

Here are some examples of how you can make notes from given information. Look at the
following paragraphs.
1. Chameleons are not poisonous. They change colour in order to avoid being attacked.
They can change into many colours, for example, yellow, green, brown and black.
Their slow walk helps them hide. It makes them difficult to see. Young chameleons
can make more changes than old ones.
Notes – Not poisonous – change many colours – avoid attack – young ones change
more – Slow walk helps them hide
2. Last week a meeting was held at Evelyn Baring High School. It was attended by all
students from forms one to five and their English teachers. After a long discussion, it
was decided that forms one, two and three pupils should have eight periods of English
a week. It was also decided that forms four and five should have six periods of English
per week.
Notes – meeting held – decision – forms 1,2,3 – 8 periods per week – forms 4,5 – 6
periods.
From these examples you can tell that the notes give you the main points in the paragraph in
a shorter way. They provide a summary of what the paragraphs are about without giving all
the information word for word.
ACTIVITY
Make notes from the passage below on how you should take care of your eyes.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR EYES
Always ensure that you have plenty of light when reading. Bad light causes eyestrain.
Many books have very small print. Do not read small print for long periods of time.
If you find that you cannot read what is written on the board, ask the teacher if you
can sit nearer to the front of the class. If you do not ask your teacher, both your work
and your eyes will suffer.
If after reading you get headaches, or sore eyes, you should go see your doctor. This
may take some of your time and money, but it is worth it to keep your eyes healthy!
If at any time you think that there may be something wrong with your eyes, you
should have them tested by a doctor.
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
• have plenty of light
• do not read small print for long time
• sit near front
• see a doctor for problems
EXERCISE 8
Read the following passage and write notes on the symptoms of bilharzia and how it can be
prevented.
BILHARZIA
In many parts of Africa a small worm called bilharzia is found. There are two kinds of
bilharzia: one which lives in a human being’s lower bowel, and one which lives in the
bladder. Bilharzia is also the name of the disease the worm causes. Although it rarely
kills people, it weakens them, and makes it easy for them to catch other diseases.

The bilharzia worms lay tiny eggs inside the infected person. If the infected person
urinates or defecates into a stream or river or pond, the eggs hatch out into larvae
which live for a short time in snails. These larvae attack a person by entering through
the body while the person is bathing in water, or when standing in it. They enter the
body and then enter the wall of the bowel or bladder causing bleeding, pain and
damage to vital parts of the body.
The symptoms of the disease are well known. In the early stages, the infected person
will feel feverish, will suffer from stomach pain and will have too much loose body
waste. The infected person will also feel tired and will have little energy. If the
disease continues for a long time, the intestines may be destroyed, and the liver may
become hard.
Bilharzia can be cured. If treatment is given early enough, four out of every five cases
can be cured by means of new medicines, but these medicines can cause bad side
effects. However, prevention is better than cure.
A number of preventive measures can be taken. Firstly, a proper latrine should be used
whenever possible. Rivers and streams should not be polluted. In addition, the water
supply should be kept clear of weeds and reeds, which may harbour the bilharzia
snails. All drinking water should of course be boiled. Finally, slowly moving streams
or stagnant pools which may be infected with bilharzia should be avoided. (Grant and
Unoh 1976)
Symptoms:...............................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Prevention: ..............................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................

EXERCISE 9
Read the following passage and, in note form, list points on how you should care for
someone who has AIDS.
HOW YOU SHOULD CARE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS AIDS

Someone who has AIDS is going to die. Think about how you would feel if someone
told you that you were going to die. You might not believe it at first. You might be
angry at the person who gave you the disease. You might feel very sad and depressed.
But, however you felt, you would need your friends and family to comfort you and to
care for you. This is what someone who has AIDS needs.
Remember that you cannot get AIDS from hugging or holding an infected person. A
person who is going to die needs your love and affection.
Remember that you cannot get AIDS from living with, or sharing with an infected
person. People who have AIDS must not be locked away in a special room, away
from other people.
They need to be with the people they love. They may need help with washing or
eating. It is safe, and right, for you to give them this help.
Remember that AIDS can happen to anyone, even you. You would not like to die a
sad and lonely death. Make sure that nobody else does.
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
This brings us to the end of this lesson on note making. We hope you have seen how you
can pick out what important points from any material and write it in a shorter form.

9
LESSON
_____________
Interpreting information presented in charts
In the last lesson you looked at making notes and summarising. In this lesson you will look
at how you interpret information presented in charts. You learn a great deal by reading.
However, a lot of information is presented not by words, but by diagrams such as graphs
and charts. A diagram is helpful in giving you a quick general picture of the facts. As a
student you should be able to interpret the information to show that you understand it.
OBJECTIVE
interpret information presented in charts and graphs.
One kind of a diagram that is used to present facts is a graph.
ACTIVITY
Look at this example on how to interpret information that is given in a graph.
This graph shows the rate of growth of a plant.
Growth of Plant
9
8
7
Height (cm)
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
. Day

Look at the graph and answer the following questions.
1. How long does the plant take to grow 3 cm?
2. How high was the plant after three days?
3. How high was the plant after six days?
ANSWERS
1. five days
2. 2 cm
3. 4 cm
This is how you work out the answers
The vertical axis (the one that goes up and down) is called the “y”-axis. The horizontal
axis (the one that goes from left to right) is called the “x”-axis.
You see that on the graph the “x”-axis shows the days and the “y”-axis shows the
height in centimetres. To find out how long the plant takes to grow to 3 cm, you find
where 3 cm is shown on the y-axis. You draw a line horizontally from that 3 cm point
to the point on the graph that is marked (the line that shows how fast the plant is
growing) and then draw a line down to the “x”-axis. This tells you how many days it
took for the plant to reach 3 cm.
To find out how high the plant was after three days, find “3” on the “x”-axis and draw
a line to where the graph passes through 3 days. Now draw a horizontal line towards
the height. This tells how high the plan has grown after 3 days.

ACTIVITY
Look at the pie chart below and then answer the questions that follow it.
Swaziland exports
other
sugar
fruit
sugar
coal
wood & wood pulp
sugar asbestos
asbestos
coal
fruit
other
sugar
wood & wood
pulp
This chart shows the approximate relative values of Swaziland’s main exports.
1. What is Swaziland’s main export?

........................................................................................................................................
2. What is the second main export?
........................................................................................................................................
3. Which two minerals bring in approximately the same amount of money?
........................................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
1. Sugar
2. Wood and wood pulp
3. Asbestos and coal
You could also be given the information and asked to show it in the form of a pie chart or a
bar chart.
Let us look at this example.

World Production of Gold
South Africa 74%
Canada 5%
U.S.A. 4%
Japan 4%
Other countries 13%
This is what it would look like when given in the form of a pie chart.
Gold of Gold
World Production
Other countries
Japan
South Africa
USA
Canada
Canada USA
Japan
Other countries
South Africa

The circle represents all the gold produced in the world. The circle is divided into sections
which show how much each country produces. Information can also be presented in a bar
graph.
Here is an example of a bar graph.
Population of Some African Countries

(millions)
16
14
12
10
8 Population (millions)
6
4
2
0
e
nd
i
a
a
a
aw
bw
i
bi
an
ib
la
m
al
am
w
ba
i
az
Za
M
ts
m
N
Sw
Bo
Zi
This bar graph shows the population of Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland
and Malawi.
The heading of the bar graph is “Population of Some African Countries.” The vertical line
shows the population in millions.
The horizontal line shows the name of each country.
If you were asked to give the population of Zimbabwe, this is how you would work out the
answer. You would look at the height of the bar from Zimbabwe. You see that it is fifteen
million.
You may be asked to give the name of the country that has eight million people.
This is how you would work it out. You would look for the name of the country that has a
bar that goes up to eight million and you will see that it is Zambia.

EXERCISE 10
1. Look at the pie chart below and answer the questions that follow.
Sierra Leone Exports 1968

Misc
9%
Fish
5%
Cocoa Diamonds
6% Iron ore
Palm kernels Palm kernels
10% Diamonds Cocoa
58% Fish
Iron ore Misc
12%
a. What was Sierra Leone’s most important export in 1968?

........................................................................................................................................
b. What percentage of Sierra Leone’s exports did diamonds represent?
........................................................................................................................................
c. Which was the next largest exported product – iron ore, or palm kernels?
........................................................................................................................................
d. What does Misc. mean?
........................................................................................................................................
e. Complete the blanks in this paragraph on Sierra Leone’s exports, referring to the
diagram:

Sierra Leone’s Exports
In 1968, Sierra Leone’s most important export was ......................................................
which accounted for ............................................of the total value of exports. Her
second most valuable export was ............................................. which represented 12%
of the total. The country had a number of other exports, of which palm kernels
(.......................%) were the most important.
2. Look at the information in the bar graph and then answer the questions.
Children Attending School in Five Countries
120%
100%
Percentage
80%
60% Series1
40%
20%
0%
A B C D E
Countries
a. What is the heading of the bar graph?

...............................................................................................................................
b. What does the vertical line tell us?
...............................................................................................................................
c. What does the horizontal line tell us?
...............................................................................................................................
d. In which country does the highest percentage of children attend school?
...............................................................................................................................
e. In which country does the lowest percentage of children attend school?
...............................................................................................................................
f. In which country do 60% of the children attend school?
...............................................................................................................................

In this lesson we have looked at three different ways of showing information in charts and
graphs. First you learnt how to read a graph. Then you learnt about pie charts and finally
you learnt about bar graphs.

10
LESSON
_____________
Feelings, qualities, motives and opinions
In the last lesson you looked at how you can interpret information presented in charts and
graphs. In this lesson you are going to look at how feelings, qualities and motives of a
character can be shown in whatever you read. You will see how what you read can
encourage you to form certain opinions about the subject.
OBJECTIVE
describe the feelings, qualities and motives of a character in a story;
form an opinion about what you read.
You have already seen in the introduction that whatever you read expresses something.
When reading a text, you find that the way the writer feels about what he is writing is
shown through the words and phrases he uses. These words can show anger, joy,
frustration, hate and many other emotions. The words used will describe feelings, qualities
and motives of the character in a story. What is said will then make you form your own
opinion about the situation.
ACTIVITY
Read the following conversation and then answer the questions that follow.
Son: Dad, I’m home. Did you have a good day at the office?
Father: Not too bad. Why?
Son: Oh, nothing. I just wondered.
Father: Paul, you look sheepish. Have you failed a test or fought with someone
again?
Son: Oh, how did you guess about having failed?
Father: Don’t tell me you’ve failed Geography again?

Son: Yes, but you know the subject. I just cannot pass it.
Father: I haven’t sent you to school to fail Geography. You failed again because
you didn’t study hard enough.
Son: But I hate it.
Father: Paul, I warned you that if you didn’t do better this month I would punish
you.
Son: But Dad, I ……
Father: Don’t you “But Dad” me, young man. People who continually fail their
tests have no right to argue. Now you will go to your room and stay there
till dinner time. From next week you will have a cut in your allowance. I
know this will make you work harder as you like spending money.
1. From what the father says, what do you think his feelings are towards his son?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. What qualities does the son show in this conversation?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. What is the father’s motive in punishing the son?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
4. What is your opinion of the relationship between the father and the son?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
1. Concerned. He wants him to succeed. He feels the responsibility as a parent.
2. Weakness and irresponsibility by failing repeatedly
• lack of confidence – “I just can’t do it”
• defensive – he is prepared to argue
• troublesome – fights
3. To be strict with him and make him work harder.
4. Your opinions might differ from these: My opinion of the relationship is that the father
is right to punish the son and should be strict with him.
ACTIVITY
Read the following extract and then answer the questions.
When I awakened one morning my mother told me that we were going to see a judge
who would make my father support me and my brother. An hour later all three of us
were sitting in a huge crowded room. I was overwhelmed by the many faces and the
voices which I could not understand. High above me was a white face which my
mother told me was the face of the judge. Across the huge room sat my father, smiling
confidently, looking at us. My mother warned me not to be fooled by my father’s
friendly manner; she told me that the judge might ask me questions, and if he did I
must tell the truth. I agreed, yet I hoped the judge would not ask me anything.
For some reason the entire thing struck me as being useless; I felt that if my father
were going to feed me, then he would have done so regardless of what a judge said to
him. And I did not want my father to feed me; I was hungry, but my thoughts of food
did not now centre about him. I waited, growing restless, hungry. My mother gave me
a dry sandwich and I munched and started longing to go home. Finally I heard my
mother’s name called; she rose and began weeping so copiously that she could not talk
for a few moments; at last she managed to say that her husband had deserted her and
her two children, that her children were hungry, that they stayed hungry, that she
worked, that she was trying to raise them alone. Then my father was called; he came
forward jauntily, smiling. He tried to kiss my mother, but she turned away from him. I
only heard one sentence of what he said.
“I’m doing all I can Your Honour,” he mumbled, grinning.

1. What is the mother’s attitude towards her husband?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. What can you say about the father’s character?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. What is the father’s motive in smiling?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
4. What is the boy’s attitude towards his mother?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
5. What is your opinion of the mother?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. Dislikes him for neglecting them
Suspicious of him – warned her son not to be fooled by his friendly manner
Does not trust him
Angry – turns away when he tries to kiss her
2. Irresponsible
Cunning
A cheat

3. To impress the judge
Pretends everything is well
Does not want the son to think he is bad
4. Loves, trusts, respects and is close to her
5. Sorry for her
Admiration at her courage and being responsible
From these last two activities you can tell the following:
Character’s feelings
Feelings can be shown through a character’s emotions and how he feels. Characters
express the way they feel by what they say or do. One can show a feeling of
unhappiness through crying or of happiness by clapping hands and jumping. Some
writers show a character’s feelings by comparing them to an image or picture using
words such as “like” or “as.” For example – to show courage one would say, “she was
like a lioness.”
Character’s qualities
Qualities of a character can be shown through the author’s description. These can be
qualities of honesty, generosity, kindness, courage or responsibility.
Character’s motives
Motives can be shown through a character’s actions in a text or story. They show the
reason why a character acts or behaves in a particular way. For example, one might be
forced by poverty to steal from someone.
Your opinion
Opinions can be shown through your point of view or judgement about certain
situations. Your opinion may be based on what is true or what you believe is true but
other people may disagree with you. As a reader, you can form your own opinion on
whether a character in a text is good or bad. This will depend on how you feel about
the characters through what they say or do.
EXERCISE 11
Read the following extract, and answer the questions that follow:
In the following extract, Major, an old respected pig, or boar, is addressing the animals in
Animal Farm at a special meeting he has called.
1. “Now comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are
miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will
keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work
to the last atom of our strength: and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an

end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty…The life of an animal is a misery and
slavery: that is the plain truth.
2. But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because this land of ours is so poor
that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No comrades, a thousand
times no!….
3. This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of
sheep – and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond
our imagining. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly
the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There,
comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word – Man.
Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause
of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.
4. Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he
does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch
rabbits. Yet he is the lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to
them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for
himself…..
5. You cows that I see before me, how many thousands of gallons of milk have you
given during this last year? And what has happened to that milk which should have
been breeding up sturdy calves? Every drop of it has gone down the throat of our
enemies….
6. Is it not crystal clear, then comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from
the tyranny of human beings? What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body
and soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you, comrades:
Rebellion!….
7. And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead
you astray. Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common
interest …It is all lies… All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.”
1. What are Major’s feelings towards the other animals?

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

2. Give the animals’ character as shown by what Major says.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. What is the motive behind Major’s speech?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
4. Do you agree with what Major says in the last paragraph? Give your opinion basing it
on what he says.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
This brings us to the end of this lesson. We hope being able to notice and describe how a
character feels, his qualities and motives and forming your own opinion about what you
read will help you as you read different materials.

11
LESSON
_____________
Understanding the writer's attitude
In the last lesson you looked at how you can interpret a character’s feelings, qualities and
motives and form an opinion about what has been said. In this lesson you will look at how
you can describe the writer’s attitude towards his subject. This describes how the writer
feels towards what he has been writing and leads to better understanding if you want to look
at it closely.
OBJECTIVE
describe the writer’s attitude towards the subject.

Most writing expresses a writer’s attitude, point of view or opinion. So, when reading a text,
it is important to recognise a writer’s attitude towards the subject matter. Writers express
their attitude in a number of ways. The most common is when they comment on something
and express whether they are for or against a subject.
What does the word “attitude” mean?
Attitude means the way you feel about something. Your attitude towards a person is shown
in your behaviour towards him or her.
How are writers able to show their feelings about the subject? They do this by the words
they use and the facts they include.
ACTIVITY
SCHOOL UNIFORMS
Read this extract and then answer the questions that follow:
Let us look at pupils in countries where school uniforms are not compulsory. Children come
to school in a variety of clothes. There is no neatness, not to mention smartness, among
them and no sign of identity. Worse still in some countries pupils come to school in clothes
in fashion among the so-called teenage group – untidy and even dirty-looking jeans and T-
shirts.

1. What is the writer’s attitude towards wearing school uniforms?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. What points does the writer use to support this attitude?

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. The writer supports the wearing of school uniforms.
The writer in this extract supports the wearing of school uniform. You do not need to
see the words “I support the wearing of school uniform” to come to this conclusion.
The words used leads you to this conclusion.
2. The writer says there is no sign of identity where pupils do not wear school uniforms.
There is no neatness and smartness among them.
The writer says pupils who do not wear school uniforms are untidy and dirty looking.
The writer calls them the “so-called teenage group” – meaning that they are not real
teenagers.

ACTIVITY
Read the following extract and then answer the questions that follow:
SHOULD BOYS BE TAUGHT COOKING IN SCHOOLS?
The best hotels and restaurants employ men as chefs. The art of cooking does not
belong solely to women, and there is nothing men need to be ashamed of if they
occasionally do the cooking. There are occasions when the wife cannot manage the
cooking, for example, during illness. The husband should be able to take over on such
occasions, and to be able to do so he must have had some training; and where else
should this training have taken place but in school?
1. What is the writer’s attitude towards boys learning to cook in schools?

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. What points does the writer use to support his attitude?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
ANSWERS
1. The writer thinks boys should learn to cook in school.
2. When the wife is sick she cannot manage the cooking.

EXERCISE 12
Read this extract and then answer the questions

WOULD LIFE BE BETTER WITHOUT NEWSPAPERS?
“No news is good news,” but this does not mean that life would be better without
newspapers, and it could be much worse.
Newspapers are important because some of them provide information about current
events in a manner which is not possible on radio or television. Radio news must be
listened to at fixed times, but newspapers can be studied whenever it is convenient. A
reader can go back and check on a difficult point. This cannot be done while following
a radio or television broadcast.
1. What is the writer’s attitude towards newspapers?

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. What points does he make to support this attitude?

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

EXERCISE 13
Read this extract and then answer the questions.

BEGGING
Mpho thought of a man he had seen that morning standing at a robot where cars had to
stop. He looked as though he had been drinking. His eyes were red and his clothes
dirty. He held a piece of cardboard, with a message crudely written across it: NO JOB.
NO MONEY. MY CHILDREN ARE HUNGRY. PLEASE HELP ME. GOD BLESS
YOU.
Drivers of cars dropped coins into his outstretched palm, then quickly rolled up their
windows and drove on.
Mpho suddenly realized that sitting on a street corner and waiting for passers-by to
give him money was not very different from what that man did.
“No,” he said, shaking his head, “I don’t want to be a beggar any more.” And he
added, “And I don’t want to steal.”
“Nor do I,” agreed Themba. “So we must start a business.”
1. What is the writer’s attitude towards begging?

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. How do we know that the writer does not support begging?

........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

This brings us to the end of how you can interpret how writers feel towards what they are
writing about. We hope this will help you as you read for better understanding of texts.

12
LESSON
_____________
Formal and informal language
In the last lesson you looked at how to understand the writer’s attitude towards his subject.
In this lesson you will look at the difference between formal and informal language. The
language that you use when communicating with people you do not know well and
superiors is called formal language. The language that you use when writing to friends and
relatives is called informal language.
OBJECTIVE
identify formal language and informal language.

It is important for you as a student to be able to distinguish between formal and informal
language. Some words and expressions are used in informal situations and would sound
impolite if used in a formal situation. Formal language is polite and serious and it is used in
official communication and situations, for example, when you write a letter of application, a
letter of complaint or when you write a report.
Informal language is the kind of language you use when communicating with people you
know very well. For example, a letter to a relative or friend is written in informal language.

ACTIVITY
Read the two passages and answer the questions that follow.
PASSAGE ONE: PASSAGE TWO:

Re: Your car hire, 22-25 April 1991 I know it’s my turn to write and this
time I’ve got some really exciting
Thank you for your recent letter in news. Do you remember that I entered
which you informed us of the problems a competition in “Thandi”? Well, I
you experienced with the car. won third prize! Imagine it? Aren’t I
In view of the circumstances, we a lucky girl!
suggest that you come personally to This brings me to the reasons for
our offices where the manager will be writing. Would you like to come and
pleased to discuss the matter with you. stay with us next weekend and share
my good fortune? Perhaps you could
help me to spend some of the money?
Shopping alone is never as much fun
as when you are with a friend.
Please drop me a line as soon as you
can. I hope to see you next weekend.
1. Which passage is formal and which is not formal?

........................................................................................................................................
2. What is the difference in the language used?
........................................................................................................................................
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ANSWERS
1. Passage one is a formal passage
Passage two is informal
2. Passage one is a formal passage. The language that has been used is formal, for
example:
• “thank you for your recent letter.”
• “in view of the circumstances”
• “management will be pleased”
Passage two is an informal passage. The language that has been used is informal – uses
short forms such as:
• it’s
• I’ve
• Aren’t I
• drop me a line
An informal passage differs from a formal passage. The most important difference between
a formal and an informal passage is in the kind of language which is used.
The language in a formal passage is fairly impersonal. In an informal passage, writers write
far more personally. They write as if they are talking. Informal writing is like speech and
uses short forms such as “it’s,” “I’ve.” If this was a formal letter these would have been
written in full: “it’s” would have been written as “It is” and “I’ve” as “I have.”
“Please drop me a line” is informal English and it is inappropriate in formal writing.
Informal writing is like speech and sometimes there are exclamations. These are used for
emphasis but when writing a formal letter they would not be appropriate.
ACTIVITY
Read this verbal apology made by a student to the teacher for disturbing an examination.
Mandla: I’m really sorry about this morning, Sir, but ...
Mr. Shabalala: (interrupting Mandla) But what?
Mandla: I know we’re not supposed to bring things into the examination
room but it’s only a good luck charm.

Mr. Shabalala: But it’s against the rules Mandla. You know that nothing is allowed
into the exam room and, anyway, you surely didn’t believe it would
work, did you?
Mandla: I suppose so.
Mr. Shabalala: Nonsense Mandla. Only your knowledge and effort can help you in
the examination. Don’t you realise that?
Mandla: Yes, Sir, I won’t do it again.
Mr. Shabalala: Well that shows both good manners and common sense.
You may go now and thank you for your apology.
Read this written apology made by the student on the same issue.
Dear Mr. Shabalala:
I am sorry for my behaviour this morning and for disturbing the class. I realise that it
is against the rules to bring anything into the exam room and I am sorry for breaking
this rule. I did not think it was very important for anyone else that I brought my good
luck charm into the classroom but I know now that I was mistaken.
1. What is the difference between the language that has been used in the two apologies?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. List the informal words and phrases that have been used in the verbal report.
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........................................................................................................................................
3. How would these have been written in formal English?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
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........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

ANSWERS
1. The verbal apology is written in informal language.
The written apology is in formal language.
2. I’m really sorry about
But it’s only a good luck charm.
We’re not supposed
You surely didn’t believe it
I won’t do it again
3. I’m – I am
But it’s only a good luck charm – but it is only a good luck charm
We’re not supposed – We are not supposed
You surely didn’t believe it - You surely did not believe it
I won’t do it again – I will not do it again
EXERCISE 14
Look at the following sentences and say which ones are formal and which are informal. Put
“F” beside the formal sentences and “I” beside the informal ones.
1. I will be unable to report for duty...................................................................................
2. Hi there. How’s things?.................................................................................................
3. Can I please see you for a moment?...............................................................................
4. Hey man, let’s talk..........................................................................................................
5. It’s great to see you ........................................................................................................
6. I am sorry for being late. ................................................................................................

EXERCISE 15
Read this letter and then answer the questions that follow.
Evelyn Baring High School
P.O. Box 218
Hometown South
30 April 2001
Dear Lulu
I’ve just received your latest letter. Thanks. It’s good to hear from you. I’m glad that
you and your family are well and that you are looking forward to your visit to town in
June.
Do you remember when I wrote to you a few weeks ago I told you I’d seen someone
shoplifting at Spar Supermarket? Well they’ve caught the shoplifter! I read in the
newspaper that the “lady” with long legs was, in fact, a man dressed as a woman.
What a surprise!
When the police grabbed him he said he’d used the disguise because it was easier to
hide stolen goods in women’s clothing, and a woman could carry a big shopping bag
without causing any suspicion.
He was caught only a few blocks from the store – a policeman on traffic duty saw him.
He was still dressed as a woman. The policeman was suspicious because the “woman”
ran so clumsily in the high-heeled shoes she was wearing as she dashed in and out of
the traffic trying to escape. He arrested “her” and later she was linked with the
shoplifting incident at Spar Supermarket.
I’m glad you’re enjoying school. It’s going quite well for me too. I’ve been working
hard and I’ve been getting better marks. I hope I can keep it up.
In your letter you asked about my sister Jane. As you know she started her own
business two years ago, making school uniforms. This week she took on two more
staff. Now she employs eleven! She says she is going to open a factory before long –
if she does that I might start working for her on a proper basis. Meanwhile, as usual,
I’ll go over and help her at the weekend. I go to the shop and clear up a bit, and I’ve
been helping her with her advertising recently. This is a good way to repay her for all
the money she’s paid for my education.
I hope to see you next week in Lusaka.
Best wishes
Your friend
Linda

1. Abbreviated forms (such as “I’ve”) imitate speech – identify all the abbreviated forms
in the letter. Give the full form for each example.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
2. Look at the first paragraph of Linda’s letter. It is written in an informal style. How
would you write it in formal language?
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
3. Writing in a friendly letter imitates speech, so expressions which are appropriate only
in speech are used. For example Linda writes, “Well they’ve caught the shoplifter.” In
formal language it would have been written as, “The shoplifter has been arrested.”
Identify other examples and explain how they would have been expressed in more
formal writing.
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

This lesson brings us to the end of the unit on Intensive Reading. Congratulations for
having come this far. We hope you have benefited from the lessons, activities, exercises and
assignments, and you will use the skills that you have acquired.
SUMMARY
In this unit you looked at:
• how you answer different types of comprehension questions such as factual,
true or false, multiple-choice and implied meaning
• how you tell the difference between facts and opinions
• how to explain new words
• how to identify the order of events
• how to make notes to summarise
• how to interpret information given in charts, graphs and diagrams
• how to interpret a character’s feelings, qualities, motives and form an opinion
• how to interpret a writer’s attitude towards what he is writing about
• how to use formal and informal language

ANSWERS
EXERCISE 1
1. the bloodstream and small intestines

2. 10 ml of alcohol
3. hands may shake; memory and alertness are decreased; less co-ordinated
4. a. False
b. True
c. False
d. True
EXERCISE 2
1. an opinion
2. a fact
3. an opinion
4. an opinion
5. an opinion
EXERCISE 3
1. They intended to sell the fruit to the people on ship.

2. The arrival of the ship gave them a chance to trade.
3. The wanted the slower among them to move quickly.
4. The writer stayed behind.

EXERCISE 4
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. True
9. True
10. False
EXERCISE 5
1. d
2. c
3. c
4. b
5. a
6. d
EXERCISE 6
1. modified - adapted
2. solitary - single
3. residue - waste
4. remote - distant

EXERCISE 7
• born 1943
• educated in Germiston and Ladysmith
• stayed in Europe for seven years
• returned to South Africa and worked as a lawyer
• entered into business
• postgraduate degree at Witswatersrand.
• lawyer in South Africa and Botswana
• concentrates on human rights and writing
EXERCISE 8
Symptoms:
• feel feverish
• suffer from abdominal pains
• diarrhea
• feel tired
• less energy
• destruction of intestines and hard liver if not treated in time
Prevention:
• use of proper toilets
• no pollution in rivers and streams
• clean water supply free from weeds and reeds
• boil drinking water
• avoid stagnant pools and slow-moving streams.

EXERCISE 9
1. give your love and affection

2. keep them company; live and share with them
3. help them
EXERCISE 10
Question 1:
a. Diamonds
b. 58%
c. Iron ore
d. Miscellaneous
e. In 1968, Sierra Leone’s most important export was diamonds which accounted for
58% of the total value of exports. Her second most valuable export was iron ore,
which represented 12% of the total. The country had a number of other exports, of
which palm kernels (10%) were the most important.
Question 2:
a. Children Attending School in Five Countries
b. The percentage of children attending school
c. The countries
d. Country D
e. Country A
f. Country C

EXERCISE 11
1. Major is concerned about their miserable lives and frustration. He pities them and
uses his wisdom to make them aware of the exploitation and wants them to take
action. He has insight into their problems.
2. They are submissive to human beings. They do whatever they are told without
questioning. For example, they are made to work very hard and are given little food
but they never complain. They are naïve and lack confidence. None of them has ever
realised that man is an enemy. They are subjected to misery and their future looks
bleak.
3. To make the animals take action and rebel against human beings. To drive them to
anger and make them aware of their misery and oppression, and to fight for freedom.
4. Your answers will differ as you will either agree or disagree with what Major says.
What is important is to base your opinions on what is said in the paragraph.
EXERCISE 12
1. The writer thinks newspapers are good/useful.

2. Facts the writer uses
• Newspapers present current events in different ways
from radio and television
• Newspapers can be read at anytime, anywhere
• A reader can go back and check on a difficult point.
EXERCISE 13
1. The writer thinks it’s not the right way of earning a living.
2. The writer describes the begger with:
• red eyes
• dirty clothes
• looked as if he had been drinking

EXERCISE 14
1. F
2. I
3. F
4. I
5. I
6. F
EXERCISE 15
1. I’ve I have
Thanks Thank you
It’s It is
I’m I am
I’d I had
They’ve They have
You’re You are
I’ll I will
She’s She has
2. I have just received your latest letter. Thank you. It is a good to hear from you. I am
glad that you and your family are well and that you are looking forward to your visit
to town in June
3. Police grabbed - police arrested
dashed - rushed
She took on - She employed/hired

REFERENCES
1. Armstrong, D.W., & Taylor, R.C. Progress in Comprehension. Heinemann

Education Books.
2. Cox, Alwyn; Grant, Neville & O’Neill, Helen, 1976. English Examined. Thomas
Nelson and Sons Limited.
3. Dawson, D. 1986 New Horizons 1. MacMillan Boleswa.
4. Grant, Neville. 1970. Read Think and Do. Longman.
5. Grant, N.J.H., Olagoke D.O., & Southern, K.R. Secondary English Project.
Longman.
6. Grant, N.J.H., and Unoh, S.O. 1976. Reading for a Purpose 1 & 2. Longman.
7. Jordi, Patrick. 1977. English as a Second Language Module 1 & 2. Cambridge
University Press U.K.
8. MacCafferty, James. 1995. Info Skills Books 1 & 2. Hodder and Stoughton
Educational St. Edmundbury Press.
9. Mohapi, E., Selai & Mohapi, Lerato. 1985 Integrated Science for Boleswa
Schools Book 1. FEP International.
10. Motha, D.V., Lukhele, P.P., Phiri L.A., Simelane L. 1995 Language for life 1.
MacMillan
11. Octopus Children’s Encyclopaedia.
12. Phiri, L.A. & Motha, D.V. & Simelane, L.G. 1997 Language for Life Book 2 & 3.
MacMillan Swaziland National Publishing Company.
13. Waight, Walter, D. 1973. A First Encyclopaedia, James Nisbot and Company Ltd.
14. Wallace, Michael, J. 1980. Study Skills in English. Cambridge University Press.
Note: COL has not been able to confirm some of the citations. We apologise for any
omissions and would be grateful if these could be brought to our attention.


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INCREASING ACCESS TO SECONDARY

SCHOOL LEVEL EDUCATION THROUGH THE

JUNIOR SECONDARY LEVEL

Suite 600 - 1285 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 3X8 CANADA

COL is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the

© Commonwealth of Learning, January 2004

The four modules comprising the English materials are:

Module 1: Communication Skills

THE WRITERS, REVIEWERS AND PILOTING TUTORS:

Angela Martins (Mozambique);

Victor B. Maika (Botswana);

COL/English i Module 2: Reading

Following the pilot phase, the materials were reviewed by:

Victor B. Maika (Botswana);

SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THE MATERIALS

• as free from disturbances as possible;

COL/English ii Module 2: Reading

Module 2 has three units as follows:

In each unit there are:

• check on what they already know or can already do;

GOAL FOR THE MODULE

By the end of this Module, the learners should be able to:

COL/English iii Module 2: Reading

DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE MODULE

CONTENT UNIT CONTENT

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

COL/English iv Module 2: Reading

Unit 1 Efficient Reading 1

Unit 2 Reference Skills 15

Unit 3 Intensive reading 75

COL/English v Module 2: Reading

skim through a piece of writing in order to obtain a general idea of the

scan a piece of writing in order to find specific information within a

UNIT CONTENT This unit is divided into three lessons

Lesson 1 Efficient reading

COL/English 1 Module 2: Reading

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

give reasons why you read;

give reasons why you read materials in different ways.

COL/English 2 Module 2: Reading

COL/English 3 Module 2: Reading

Check your answers at the end of the unit.

COL/English 4 Module 2: Reading

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

skim through a piece of writing to get a general idea of what it is about.

COL/English 5 Module 2: Reading

COL/English 6 Module 2: Reading

COL/English 7 Module 2: Reading

Check your answers at the end of the unit.

COL/English 8 Module 2: Reading

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

scan a piece of writing in order to find specific information.

COL/English 9 Module 2: Reading

These are our examples. You might have different ones

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES 84110

COL/English 10 Module 2: Reading

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES 84110

Scan the paragraph below to find answers to these questions

Chinua Achebe (1930)

COL/English 11 Module 2: Reading

Check your answers at the end of the unit.

DIET AND HEALTH

COL/English 12 Module 2: Reading

Check your answers at the end of the unit.